The Pain You Gave Me
by ShadowSpirits
Summary: GOING THROUGH A MASSIVE REWRITE, which has been a very slow process
1. Starting It off

I read too many angst fics in a row…..now I have to write one. Though most of my fic are anyway….mrr…And hey! For ONCE I'm using Jap names! It's starting to flow more with me…I've been watching some of the Japanese episodes and they are being driven into my mind. Heheh, anyways… 

YAOI: Bakura/Yami (Not for long though), Mariku/Yami, and whatever pairing comes alive.

Warnings: Yaoi (as seen above), VIOLENCE (I'm not sure if I should move this to R….)

/Yuugi to Yami/

//Yami to Yugi//

{Ryou to Bakura}

[Bakura to Ryou]

*Malik to Mariku*

~*Mariku to Malik*~

I'm trying to figure out HTML for the site, I mean, I can do basics when it's in an actual form, but otherwise…well, you probably catch my drift. So don't kill me if you see little I/I things in some places that were meant as dreams….mrr….no fair. If this comes out wrong, SOMEONE please HELP me oO;;;

Disclaimer: I do not have any rights to the show Yu-Gi-Oh and its assortment of characters, but I do own the characters Avanna and Shinkou.

"You are an angel in black." -Van: Reba

******

__

I"NO! Stop! L-leave me alone, gods please! STOP!" A voice cried out loudly, wrists tied together behind his robed form's back. A paled hand slapped across the obviously weaker one's face, drawing blood from the raw skin before lowering itself, only to (with help from the possessor's second hand) tie a tight gag over the other's mouth. 

"Weakling. You want me to stop so bad?" The sneer of the person causing such terror in the room grew more at the sight of the other struggle, muffled cries escaping his lungs and tried getting breaths of air through the gag. "What, the poor little Pharaoh can't save himself?" His words were followed up with a laugh, but a crack of a pure leather whip rang over the cackle, hitting against the stone floor of the Ancient Egyptian room. 

The tied down body struggled more, ankles having already been "fused" with the chair by the method of rope. Tears poured out from crimson eyes, closing abruptly when the other came to notice them, the pale hand returning to his face, though this time seized his chin in examination.

"You poor little rat.." A sigh was heard, though incredibly fake. "…What will I do with you?"

Blood painted its way like rain from the face of the form to the ground, a loud, thick sound hitting to the stone like water. It was the whip, no longer doing a dance of death to the ground, no longer toying over the cracked and nicked surface….Now it had found its way to skin. First, it was simply the reddened face, already abused in so many ways itself. But then the form towering over him was striking area free of clothing, such as the sleeveless arms… The perfect dark, yet pale skin in its own way, now stained in the color of his eyes.

Crimson./I

******

A low whimper erupted from the lips of a certain former pharaoh. He stored himself away in bed, besides his always lover…well, that's how he assumed it anyway. Night by night though, it was breaking down, breaking away slowly in a state of mental erosion. Tonight was the last of his strings to stay hooked to the other..

Dreams. Every night he's been having a dream from the past, a flashback more likely even. And each time he woke up in pain, so unbelievably weak that Yami hadn't a clue what to do with himself except curl up to his lover for comfort. But now….he couldn't!

For the first time in many ongoing nights, the eyes of his abuser were seen, the whole damn body was seen! And it was no fake. His abuser in the past, his lover now, was Bakura.

Yami gave a second whimper, pulling the covers around his lithe form and tensing as the one his back was to, stirred. 

"Love?" 

"H-Hai….?"

"What's wrong…? Is it another nightmare…?" An embrace was formed between the two, and Yami felt himself begin to sink against it, the warmth so loving, so caring, so….NO! He couldn't do this, not with Bakura….not ever again! Bakura hurt him so much, without one bit of sympathy and even if the other had changed….the scars remained.

"G-G-Get away!" Yami scattered himself away from the other, almost falling out of bed as he held out a hand towards Yami. The pale cheeks were in sheer confusion, having not a clue why his love could be acting in these ways.

"Please….love…..what is it…?"

Bakura's reaching hand was slapped away and Yami moved to stand out of the bed, hurt registering over the spirit of the ring's face. "Yami…my love…"

"SHUT UP! D-don't you even think of calling me that!" He was walking backwards, groping out for the door in the darkness and stumbling every few steps, body shaking immensely when he finally caught the knob. "Stay away from me, Bakura! I-I don't want to see you again! EVER!" The bedroom door opened and Yami fled, slamming it behind him and moving to seek a jacket, leaving the house completely.

Bakura stood as well, moving towards the window and watching the fleeing other, biting his lip in determination to go after him, but was held back mentally to give the other some time.

******

Morning came with not much sleep for the silver fiend. He moved into the apartment's bathroom, the very apartment he'd share with Yami, who he took keen note that the other hadn't returned. Bakura faltered at that thought whilst he adjusted his hair from a morning-fuzz to its normal devilish self. 

That done, the phone was his next placement, as he didn't care much for breakfast. Spirit or no, he just didn't like to eat the grub of the day. Lucky for him, he had known the Game Shop's number by heart, having being used to calling the tri-haired spirit before they had moved in together.

"Hello?"

"Sugoroku, can I speak to your grandson?"

There was some rustling of papers on the other side of the line, before a call could be heard echoing from the receiver, not much later the young Motou had picked up the phone. "Hello? Who's speaking?"

"Yuugi…it's….Bakura."

"Hn? Oh! Hey, Bakura, how goes things?" A pause trailed after the active boy's words before the spirit finally found a way to answer the question, begging for the answer he wished.

"Did Yami ever show at your place last night?"

"…What? Of course not, why would he? Isn't he with yo-"

"N-no….he ran off after waking up last night….I think he was having a nightmare, but normally he lets me help….I-I couldn't get near him…." 

"Bakura, do you want to come over here? I can get the others to help and we can look for him, because I can't find his spirit with the puzzle…But you sound really shaken, so just come over here, ok?"

"Yeah…..alright…Arigatou, Yuugi-kun."

******

Yami found himself in the darkness of an alleyway, it was the one place he could take for refuge that no one would suspect, that no one would find him. Sure the park would be where he would normally seek for a place to cool off, but….Bakura knew about it there. He would come and Yami wasn't sure he could keep running. 

"I can't love the other…..I can't!" The spirit's body was broken down by his sobs, unable to be controlled as he held his body against part of the alley's wall, the fetal position he was in the same as it had been all night. No, he hadn't moved. Couldn't move. It….it had hurt him to much, his body sore….and from a nightmare! "But it was so real…it….it…" The one moment he had of sanity was lost and the tears racked away at him once again.

******

"So you're saying he just ran off like that…?" Yuugi began after listening to Bakura's tale of the recent night. Funny how many people were gathered in the living room in the housing area of the Game Shop, but people come with their attractions, and some just come daily anyway like Jounouchi. 

But there were others instead of him. The simple group, subtract Mai and add Kaiba and what do you get? The list is short in the eyes of some: Seto, Jou, Malik, Mariku (who hid off in his soul room), Anzu, Honda, Ryou, Bakura, Otogi, Shinkou (happened to be in town), and of course Yuugi. 

"Hai…..just like that.."

"What has he previously had nightmares on?"

Bakura glanced up at his love's look-alike form, then around the room before sighing, gaze dropping to the floor. "He really hasn't told me much. He said he's always been restrained…and that someone is always hurting him, but the person never talks, so we can never figure it out….he won't tell me anything else. He always seems like the dreams hurt him mentally…"

The room went silent as eyes gazed upon the distraught yami, mainly Ryou seemed in the greatest of fears. Sure he'd always catch his other in tender moments, but totally broken down inside and out was something new for him. The chocolate eyes pulled away, glancing to the one that stood more away from the group than near. "Shinkou-kun, your Yami's cousin, has anything like this ever happened? Even in Egypt or something…?"

Hazel eyes didn't meet Ryou's soft ones, merely stared at Malik as if looking through him, but the brunette hardly kept lock to that match up and looked away, arms folded over his teal jacket, much resembling Seto's, aside from the color. "No. Never." Somehow the voice was convincing, but internally was another story.

~*Fools…*~ Malik's inner voice hissed, from his soul room he glared out towards them all, and especially Shinkou, the strong eyes setting darkly onto Bakura. The only ones who had any idea were himself and Shinkou, Bakura with a long lost memory. Other than that, everyone seemed like clueless zombies.

*Yami…?*

No responds came and Malik gave a sigh, his other being pretty much useless.

"Well….where does he normally go when he needs to be alone…?"  
  
"The park…" Bakura whispered, russet eyes still upon the floor, voicing out to the Motou. 

~*He won't be there. He's keeping away from Bakura, so he won't be where he knows the other will find him.*~ The cold words brought a chill towards the hikari on the opposing end, but he spoke the words his dark half gave, a faint agreement coming back from Bakura and Malik couldn't help but thank his other.

*Why don't you come out of your soul room…?*  
  
~*We're leaving.*~ 

Malik's eyes widened and he could feel a probing of his mind, trying to make his body move, but Mariku was growing frustrated when his light didn't. ~*Don't make me use the Sennen Rod on you to give you a boost!*~

*But Ya-*

Mariku let his impatience get the best of him, the flat layered hair of his other shifting more in a lift as he took full control of the boy, standing to sneer at the pathetic group. "I'm going out." Were the first words from his mouth, but not final as he walked passed the Egyptian known as Shinkou, stopping besides him and eying the other of same height from his hue's corners. "You better watch Bakura or I swear I'll cut your throat and serve the fluids to the gulls." His voice hissed only enough for the one he was by to hear, getting a nod before leaving the house. 

******

__

'Not again….he was never supposed to remember ANY of that…Are you going to turn on him again, Bakura? Turn as that bastard you were in the past? Dammit….I don't know if I can be there for him again…' Mariku sighed as he fondled his hands over the Sennen Rod, walking absently where he had a pretty good idea of where the former pharaoh had been hiding. In his honesty, this wasn't something new to him….to have to find the other.

__

'I admit to trying to kill you various times over the Sennen Items…but that's nothing to what he's done. It's a mere speck compared to the suffering he's cast out…' His hands curled tightly around the item in anger, swearing out in his native tongue that he would make Bakura pay, even if it killed him. 

Mariku froze at his spot in the main road, though there wasn't much around as if the area were deserted. Inhabitants: Three; himself, Malik, and Yami. His eyes moved lightly, enough to look down an alley branched off from the road he was on, eyes widening when he finally caught the other, hardly able to be seen by the way his form held together.

*He looks awful!*

The yami grunted at his hikari, literally forming a mental cubical around the light's soul room, blocking out all senses to the outside world. No need to have himself be seen being soft. 

Mariku slowly moved in, flicking the rod passed the other's head and brushing it against one of the spikes of hair. The reaction was simple, Yami curled tighter, if it were possible it had been more than before. Mariku sighed at this, slipping the item in a loop off his jeans and knelt before the other, holding out a hand and hovering it mere inches by Yami's hidden face.

"Yami."

The form stiffened and Mariku glanced away, lowering his arm to cross over his leg. _'He must have had another dream…' _His head shook and he sat with crossed legs besides the other, waiting as long as he needed to for the other to relax, which may take awhile.

******

__

I"My Pharaoh, are you all right?"

__

The King of Game's eyes stared besides him to one of his High-Priests, eyes full of tiredness but he tried to hide it. "You really should get some rest…We can handle the council, I'm sure."

__

"No." The voice bit out in a weak sound, mentally fearing to get near his room. "I am fine, Seth. No need to worry."

__

"But I must insist."

__

The Pharaoh fixated a glare upon the other and the brunette backed off the subject, their whispering dying off and attention was once again adjusted to the rest of the council. Though the young king had to admit…he was dosing off.

__

******

"Pharaoh….Pharaoh! My Pharaoh, wake UP!"

__

Crimson eyes snapped open, looking around at the others staring at him with bewilder expressions, enough to cause Yami's mouth to open, only closing once again. He had no words for covering his own mistake.

__

A sigh was heard and one of the others looked to the brunette besides the throne. "Seth, if you may escort the Pharaoh to his room." The form nodded, assisting Yami who was quite reluctant of leaving the security of the people. The duo walked down in silence until the Pharaoh's room doors were before him, the crimson gaze shifted uneasily to turn to the waiting priest.

__

"Seth…would you-" He caught himself, shaking his head knowing that the other couldn't stay with him. At least one of the two had to attend the rest of the council's meeting. Though they were always pointless. Seth raised his brows at him, but Yami shook his head, moving to open the doors and mustered up a dead-toned voice. "You're dismissed." He watched the nod from the other and the turned form, walking back the way they came, begging for the other not to leave him, but there was nothing he could do as he entered his room, slowly closing the ancient doors behind him. 

__

"I'm surprised you held out as long as you did." 

__

Yami physically gulped, looking up wearily at the smirking thief, russet eyes boring through his frame as the other stepped forward, hand seizing his neck with a sadistic laugh. "Run my lovely Pharaoh…run if you wish, it makes my life much more enjoyable." A gasp was heard from his own lips, eyes shifting from the crazed other to set upon his left arm, a short blade being pulled back after imprinting the skin with a painful cut. The pain had taken mere seconds to register in the Pharaoh's mind before he held in a whimper, but the other made another mark just besides the first one and Yami's cry escaped, the blade moving up between the shortened space of the two. A tongue lashed out, swiftly removing the thick fluid from the weapon as he smirked darkly to the shorter boy. "There's more loss where that came from, **love**."/I

******

Mariku knew the other was soon to wake when he heard a muffled sound, minutes later seeing the other shake as if crying. No matter how much Yami hid his face, he couldn't hide this from Mariku. The trembling form's hands were clenched around his legs, digging into the fabric and most likely drawing blood from beneath it. 

At seeing this, Mariku pulled both hands away from the tormented legs, allowing them to dig against him if Yami so desired. It wasn't like the other knew he was even here yet. _'But in the past he truly didn't notice the first time either….does this pain have to return to him again?' _Perhaps it was a good sign that Yami's hands remained limp against his own.

"Open your eyes, Yami."

The form jerked back slightly, but Mariku stayed as he had been when the other's head finally lifted to stare at him, eyes going wide at the realization of who was before him, pulling his hands back to his body and moving away from the other, yet managed to stay in his crouch. There was a flash of fear before Yami forced a "game face" and a firm voice, though it was breaking. "Leave me alone."

"Yami, listen to me.."

"Bastard! You listen to ME, just leave me the hell a-" Mariku sighed and put a hand over the other's mouth, having advanced forward enough for the short reach and sat before the blinking other, looking up and pulling his hand back. The other fell silent.

"Listen," he continued softly, waiting to make sure the other wasn't going to interrupt and spoke out. "Bakura told us that you were having nightmares of someone hurting you in the past." Yami turned away at that, his back to the other when he stood, hand on the wall to keep his frail form from falling over. "Yami, those aren't nightmares! It was Bakura you saw, right?" Mariku watched desperately as the narrowed gaze looked over the opposing shoulder to meet his pleading eyes, there was no responds, but in this case one wasn't needed. "Yami. They were memories… not nightmares.."

The rod's spirit winced as Yami had pivoted around and slapped him across the face, obviously not liking this conversation. "Shut up! You know NOTHING, so stop 'acting' useful and piss off!" The former ruler began to walk by the other but Mariku stopped him, stepping back infront and received an angered look from the other.

"At least come back with me to the others, they're worried."

"No," Yami hissed, though it was cracking, his body trying to push passed the other, now his attempts getting more distressed.

"Yami, please!" Mariku watched as the other froze, he had held to both of his wrists so Yami couldn't have as much of a chance escaping. "Just come back with me, at least to your own cousin…"

"What does Shinkou have to do with any of this?!"

"If you won't allow me to help, at least let him."

"I don't need pity, and I don't need your help." Yami became frantic again, begging himself to just push by the other but he only grew weaker. Finally, he slumped lightly, head down as Mariku held him up gently (surprising Yami) by the wrists. His eyes slid closed and voice breathed a whisper. "Onegai….let me leave…"

"I can't Yami…come back to the others."  


He stiffened again, straightening from his slump and tried to back away, Mariku held him tighter on the wrists. "I won't let Bakura near you."

The other looked up at that, trying to read Mariku's eyes, trying to find a trick in all this, but he couldn't….the gaze clouded by worry and Yami was left speechless. "Look, I promise, and Shinkou won't let him near you either, alright?"

Yami at last gave in, Mariku freeing his wrists and turning to leave the alley, in hopes Yami would follow. And in weak nature, he did.

__

'At least I got that much from him…now I just hope we can keep him from Bakura, if he gets near him, Yami will run again. Can't have that, can't have things be repeated. Bakura still loves Yami….I hope anyway, I don't know if it's better for him to remember the past, or not….anything to keep him from lashing out on Yami. I just wish I knew which was the answer..'

******

And here I debated if this would be a one-shot or multi chapter. Well by THAT ending I hope you can tell this will have multiple chapters. Happy? Good. I'm still unsure if I should rate this R or PG-13...Please give input ^^ Must figure out….

Mrr….if you missed the various hints of who the hell Shinkou is….YES he IS Yami's cousin, which I'll go in more depth in some other chapter. Avanna I'm not sure if I'll add her, most likely at some point I will. 

As a quick description on Shinkou:

Mariku's height, hazel eyes, brunette (kind of like Seto-style but a bit longer and thicker), dark-teal trench coat thingy (whatever they wear -.-) that's a decent length, jeans, and yeah, Yami's cousin. XD

Now if any of you question who he is….I'll bonk you -.- As he's one of my muses as well. 

Shinkou: Why did she create me?! WHY?!  


Oh wo is you. Meh. He gives me no credit….Go to work!  


Shinkou: Make the chibi do it. ::Receives glare.:: Um…right, if it keeps me alive… Please review for us and SAVE ME! *Ahem* At least ONE review will get the next chapter up, though it may take some time, as the only chibi of the main muses keeps casting lightning on all of us.

Chibi Clef: Aws…come on! Ish good Cwean fun!

Come on you two….let's stop driving people mad and rant in my diary….

Chibi Clef: Otay! ::Runs after authoress.::

__


	2. Questions and Answers

Mrr…

I, like many people, feel bad for Bakura XD But also Yami, more so Bakura, but….oh never mind, I'm sure you understood part of that. Eheh, and Mariku is OOC in both the past and present, sorry but I'm bad at making him evil, and then why I do I can't KEEP him evil…Maybe he'll stay partially IC. 

Ah, and I was good and didn't have any painfully 

"To find myself again, my walls are closing in…" -Crawling: Linkin Park

******

Yami entered into the living room first, Mariku following behind and watching Bakura jump up and move towards his love. The former ruler cringed and sank back at the sight, but Shinkou held to the silver fiend before getting to Yami.

"Wha- hey! Shinkou, what's the deal?!"

"You've done enough already," the Egyptian hissed as he held back a saddened Bakura, the sight of Yami **avoiding **him being painful to the mind. Shinkou glanced over to Mariku who continued in with the other, taking him towards the stairs.

"Go rest," Mariku whispered to the other, who had a sense of paranoia about almost everyone.

"But what if-"

"He won't get you, Yami, I promise.." For reassurance there was a hand set to the other's shoulders and Yami gave in, glancing to Bakura wearily before heading up to his room.

******

"Why's he being so….so _nice_? Hn…it's a trick, a mask!" Yami swore out as he closed the door to his room, moving to collapse atop the small bed and stare at the wall. "It won't last….he'll turn on me…he always has….always…"

******

__

"What's someone of your nature doing out in the **streets**?" The lavender gaze waited for an answer, but merely got nothing and approached the fully robed form, grabbing the figure by the shoulder and shoving him into a less populated area. The dark hand quickly snapped up, removing the hood and backing up, dropping it to the ground in a state of shock. "Pharaoh…" 

__

The mentioned form sunk against a near wall, face stained in blood and sweat as he sunk to the ground, not having the energy to fend away. The tomb-robber choked on his words a bit, his mind telling him just to run off like he would any person, and especially someone of superiority. So escaping the poorly guarded cells were always easy…but the getting caught part was never fun. Mariku rolled his eyes and kicked the fallen form. "Come on, get up, someone's going to think I killed you." When the Pharaoh had yet to move, merely twitch, worry was sinking in slightly. This was going to look very bad if some guard turned the corner… "I can't believe I'm doing this…"

Mariku gathered the mess heap of the Pharaoh into his arms, putting the hood back over the figure's head before looking only twice and running off.

******

Yami groaned and rolled over, eyes opening and looking up from a poor-styled bed at someone standing over him, closing his eyes again and trying to slink away.

"Aa-perti-nu-heba. Pharaoh of the games. Hn…why were you in the streets?"

The dark colored eyes opened again to look at the other, trying to sit up but cringing, his arms circling his chest area in pain and remembrance of his recent beating. Mariku's brows furrowed at the robed pharaoh's condition, turning to look away as he spoke. "I was able to clean and heal most of your wounds…though some of the dark magic's healing energy may linger for some time, but it's better than what was there…"

Yami finally managed his mouth, eyes wide at the thief as well. "You….you…" Maybe managing was the wrong word. Mariku turned back to the form and sighed, tossing away all what was left of dignity away and kneeling besides the bed he had put the other in.

"Who has been hurting you?"

The other was able to sit up the second try, turning away and beginning to shake again. Mariku bit his lip and sat besides the ruler, pulling him right into a gentle embrace that the other actually sank against. "I want to help you, but I can't if you keep acting the way you are…"

"But……but you're just a thief….you can't do anything…"

The words hit hard, but the pale blonde dealt with it and continued with the soft voice. "I healed you, I would consider that doing something, ne?" Yami remained silent and the other made him look up into his eyes. "Pharaoh, if you won't tell me who is doing this, at least give me some way I can help…"

******

Yami merely stirred slightly, a smile curled over his face as that was the first _good _memory/nightmare he's had in weeks. Comfort is what it brought and Yami's doubt he had earlier was fading. "Maybe he really DOES want to help me…" The abrupt thought gave Yami a fuller smile as he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as a second thought hit him hard. '_Wait…he knew I was having memories…does that mean he KNOWS my past….?' _The former pharaoh blinked and literally jump from the bed, intending to get an answer as he brushed down the stairs in a slow motion, not realizing his body was still tired. 

The room had a light gathering now, Jou and Seto seemed to have left, the CEO to a meeting most likely. Ryou remained in the room to comfort his now sleeping other, who was stretched upon the couch, and Honda along with Anzu had also disappeared. Yami's eyes scanned the room, locking to his cousin as the other ignored Otogi, something about Dungeon Dice Monsters was in the air, and the shorter boy gave a shudder at that. Silent lingo passed between the two relatives, information being tossed to Yami with the simple short movements of lips: Yugi went to sleep in his room. 

Ryou looked up with a light yawn as Yami moved to a certain chair seating an oh-so-certain Egyptian, legs up on the coffee table, arms crossed and eyes closed. But there was no sleep, and that was obvious, giving Yami the right to speak out to the other quietly for the others not to hear. "You know my past very well, _don't _you?"

Mariku opened one eye, looking at the other calmly before closing it shut again, voice not faltering one bit, though internally he hated to lie. "No." 

"Fuck that, Mariku!" Yami snapped loudly, causing Otogi, Shinkou, and Ryou to look at him, all but Mariku. That didn't help Yami's annoyance and he spat out towards Ryou to drag his yami into his soul room and leave now. Ryou stared at him briefly before doing so, leaving the house skittishly. Otogi glanced over from talking with Shinkou (though the other was watching Yami and Mariku), but he wasn't sent from the house and instead silently watched as well. "You are such a liar! Tell me what you know, I _need _to know!! I deserve to!"

"Do you now?" Mariku muttered curiously, eyes still closed softly until he cringed and leant forward, legs planted to the floor, eyes opened to lightly glare at Yami who had just kicked his legs harshly. "The past isn't important."

"Then why are you and Shinkou so edgy?!"

"Yami, you really shouldn't kn-"

"Shut up!!" Yami growled angrily to his cousin, knowing it wouldn't make him flinch even the slightest. His eyes fell back to the relaxed other, letting his anger simmer before voicing softly. "Mariku…I know you can answer me….I know you…" 

As the one looking over him paused, Mariku felt a tinge of inner panic. _'Dear Ra….what if he saw…what if he dreamed…gods…please no….he wouldn't trust me!! He'll kill me! No, no, no, please don't be-'_

"I know you helped me…even when I thought you couldn't….but that's all I know! I don't know what's going on, why can't you both tell me?! At least you, Shinkou, how _you _knew I was being….well…….abused…weren't you always out in the desert somewhere…?" Yami continued ranting, not catching Mariku's sigh of relief. The blonde was safe, no worries, Yami had no idea….none at all…yet.

Shinkou looked towards Mariku who nodded approvingly to him, emphasizing with his eyes that at least the small bit of info on Shinkou's part was safe. Some of it anyway. "First off, I was not living in the middle of the desert, my mother locked me in a small house by the Nile. And you want to know how I found out about you?"

Yami sat himself down upon the near couch's armrest, glancing back to the brunette who finally strode into the living room, taking the couch opposite of his "other" and sighed lightly. "Alright…"

******

Bakura yawned, russet eyes opening in the expectation that he'd see Yugi's living room. But no such sight occurred…only the morose soul room of his, the atmosphere blending various colors over his small sized bed. Or…it seemed small anyway, compared to the bed he "used" to share with Yami. It was obvious that his soul room had been left for quite some time, a purple fog coating the area up to his stomach when he stood out of the bed, gazing around at the area above. Blacks, grays, white, blues, purples, gold. So this was his mind now?

Black; darkness. Gray; Darkness mingled with light. White; light. Blue; confusion. Purple; the Shadow Realm's energy in the ring. And gold for his always Egyptian mind, making it so he would never be fully taken by the black darkness.

But why, and how did he get in his soul room? He was sleeping on the couch, finally unable to stay up and wait for his….love. Yes, his love, he still cared deeply for the other yami…even if he was rejected. But it didn't matter to him now, all he wanted was to know why.

[Ryou?]

{Hai?}

[Why am I….here…?]

His other sounded a bit quiet, stumbling over his words and stopping to try again. {The others told me to take you into your soul room and go home…} That made enough sense.

[Aibou, do you at least know what's going on?]

A mental shake of the head was his answer, or part anyway. {No…they won't tell any of us, I can't really see why though…}

[Who's they…?]

{Nani? Oh! Right….Shinkou, Mariku, and Yami… But other than Yami, the first two really know a lot, but they just won't tell anyone! I promised them though, that I wouldn't let you out…alright?} Bakura returned his other with a soft reply of yes, a bit discouraged that he was being held back from everyone.

Everyone including Yami.

******

"Out of the many books I found around that shack, I was finally able to get enough magic skills to break from the place and the many seals locking me in. I had made it into the streets, a simply task, took the short amount of money I had and bought a pretty large and long, dark-gray and hooded cloak. Just so my mother didn't somehow catch me. And then I started wandering down random, quiet streets, looking for a new place to hide away when my hood slid over my eyes and I couldn't see myself trip over something…"

"When I had stood again, I never expected a person, not moving, but alive. It surprised me when I saw you, only having us meet a few times face to face due to my mother locking me up, but I knew it was you and almost panicked… Hell, if it weren't for all those books I read, you would probably have been dead-"

"You never told me he was almost dead when you brought him!" Mariku broke in suddenly, glaring at the current storyteller. Shinkou returned that look but Mariku took over the tale. "Now Yami, I'm…not sure if you know yet, if your mind has given you the information, but I had a pretty stable, single floored, four room house, shack, whatever. It looked like it would fall at anytime, but when I heard a loud knock on my door, I assumed it was you because there weren't many people showing at _my door. _So I was surprised to see Shinkou (with his name unknown to me at the time) with you and well…"

"Oh hell, give me that rod!" Shinkou snapped out, tackled against the yami and swiping the item from Mariku, pointing it towards Yami. "It gets too confusing, nothing can really hurt you from this memory."

"No! Shinkou, **don't**!!"

Yami's eyes were wide as the item glowed, a narrow sliver of gold shooting out towards him and before he could do a thing, he felt his eyes closed and his body slide down from the armrest to the floor.

******

__

"Shit…Yami…" Mariku bit his lip, not surprised to see Yami at all. But his wounds were worse than normal, much worse and immediately the Egyptian went pointing fingers, snatching the unconscious pharaoh into his arms and glaring at the innocently cloaked form in the doorway, eye-to-eye. "What did you do to him?!"

"I-I didn't do anything! I was wandering down one of the alleys and tripped over him!"

"Oh and why the hell were you coming out here?!"

"I was just looking for someplace to have for myself! Onegai, look, he's my cousin _and I don't know what to do….you have to…help him…" The voice dragged off, hazel shaded eyes looking away at the ground in hopes he was able to come in. Mariku finally sighed and stepped aside, letting the form enter before closing the door with his back, cradling Yami closer to him. _

"What's your name, kid?" The darker one asked, moving to lay Yami over a table, though shaky it always managed to hold up Yami while Mariku tended to the many wounds. Brows furrowed at the sight, it seemed to be getting worst day by day…

"S-Shinkou…"

"You say he's your cousin?"

A quick nod.

"Hn. Have you ever seen him in this condition?"

"No…" Shinkou whispered, looking over to where the relative was, pulling the cloak tighter around him. He was shy now (too bad that wasn't true in the future), but he had been in a shack for over a year, so communicating with others was a bit difficult for himself right now. "I haven't gotten out for awhile…I haven't seen him for over four years, and he wasn't like this then…"

"I take it both you are the same age?" Not once did the lavender eyes drift away from his bandaging and cleaning the cuts on Yami.

"Hai."

Mariku acknowledged the answer and said nothing else until he was done, lifting Yami and carrying him towards the bedroom. 

******

Yami lightly stirred, showing his mind was conscious again, but he remained asleep comfortably beneath the covers and curled against a certain someone. That someone being none other than Mariku, who's arms were wrapped around the other, sitting against the bed's backing and holding the other close. It wasn't anything new though, Yami was often able to get out of the palace, Seth being the only one to know he was out, but not why.

The thing is, when he made it into the streets there was only one place for him to go, and that was to the thief's home. Not that either of them minded it, Mariku enjoyed the company in all honesty, but the reason why Yami always came was not a joyful thought. The bruises he had from someone (the name was still refused to be given) were getting worse and worse.

So every time he came, Mariku patched the other up and put him into the bed. It was only a few visits ago that when the blonde was about to leave Yami, the other begged him to stay. The crimson eyes had shimmered with tears, his body shaking weakly and tiredly and Mariku couldn't refuse, it was true that Yami had woken many times before with nightmares of what's been done to his fair skin and mind, and since Mariku's been laying with the other, none of the nightmares came.

******

"Is he going to be ok?" Shinkou moved into the room slowly, looking a bit nervous and worried at the two on the bed, but mainly his eyes fell upon Mariku.

"Hopefully…this is worse than it normally is…" The other held his head lightly, whispering against Yami's sleeping form before lifting his head again with a noiseless sigh.

"You really care for him….don't you?"

Mariku opened his mouth to say something to the other, but at that moment the mind viewing the situation began to pull away from the image. 

******

Yami rolled over with a tiresome feeling, opening his eyes to look at the couch's legs. He blinked away the sleep and realized he was upon the floor, sitting up a bit sore and glancing to the others. Mariku had sunken against the opposing couch, staring up at the ceiling and muttering curses to Shinkou. The brunette lowered the rod he stole from Mariku and opened his closed eyes, tossing the rod back to its owner. 

"Neh, gomen, Yami.." Shinkou muttered with a sigh and the shake off his head. "But that was better than an explanation." Mariku glared up at the brunette, hiding the Sennen Rod from view.

Yami glanced between the two, holding his head lightly, his gaze held to Mariku a moment. _'I wonder what his answer was going to be…?' _He shook his head, not bothering with the responds and averted his eyes to the other occupier of the room, Otogi seeming to have left. 

"If you could just send me a memory right now…._why _don't you give my whole damn past back!?"

Shinkou had a perfect responds, but held back and gave the clear-cut truth. "It's too damaging to the mind, Yami…it could kill you…"

"So what…?" The comment made the room fall silent as Yami sank to sit into the couch closest to him. "What does it really matter…? The **one **person I ever really cared for, I'm afraid to be in the same room with, what's the point of being so worried to stay around here when he was all I had….all that really cared…?" Yami lowered his head, not noticing the wide-eyed look etched across Mariku's face until the other stood and left the room. Yami stared at his back before glancing up at his cousin. "What did I say…?"

The other met his gaze and sighed, following after the other Egyptian to leave Yami in a state of confusion. 

******

Mariku stood around in a room, Shinkou following in and closing the door, the blonde spinning to face him with a glare. "Why did you have to do that?! We could have explained it JUST **fine**! But no….of all things…you went and did THAT!"

"I stopped the flashback before you gave the past me an answer."

"He already has enough to deal with!"

"He wanted to know how I came into it all, I showed him," Shinkou shrugged lightly, "I don't see your problem with it all."

"**Shinkou**!"

"Look, it was the past and you cared for him, this is the future and now you don-"

A sting swept over the brunette's face and he stumbled back a bit, staring bewilder at Mariku, blinking every so often at the reaction he received from the blonde, not quite understanding until the words hit.

"You bastard! I **still **care for him, do you realize what you've done?!"

"I…gods, Mariku I thought…"

"Damn you and your thoughts!" Mariku hissed back darkly, turning and opening the door, and heading to exit the house. _'I don't need this…too much stress…' _

As Shinkou exited in hopes of stopping the other, further down the hallway a form stepped out of the shadows, staring through darkish eyes at the now empty room, eyes turning soft and surprised, even worried for where the other was going… _'I guess I got my answer…'_

******

^^ See? Non-violent chappie, well, compared to the last one anyway. Heh, I had fun I think with this…thought over some of it in school…Not gonna type much here because I want to post it ^^ But I must edit first…

But now Mariku is added to the angst XD

__


	3. No Pity For Me

Gomen nasai!!! Don't hurt me, I know I've been lazy! ::Uses Shinkou as a shield to dodge flying fruits.:: Meep! Really, I'll try to be better, though that's a shaky promise… But I got an idea on March 21st through school, where most of my ideas come together. Weird places, I always _feel _my muses around me at school, and when I'm sleeping….is that weird? So I talk to my "muses" better than myself! Oo;; Stop staring at me. And keep away that jacket! Nuuuu!

::Hides.::

Shinkou: My god…

Shut up! ::Throws shoe at the OC muse.:: Neh. Umm….this chapter is, ok, it's just kinda weird…

"We're not going to decide my life with jellybeans, Shawn." -Cory: Boy Meets World

************

__

'Why do I bother trying to follow?' Yami thought as his crimson hued gaze filled around the area, losing sight of both Mariku and Shinkou with a tiresome sigh. _'All it earned me was getting lost….maybe I should just- iie! I need to find if what he said was true….' _The slow track of his mind came to a pause and he lowered his head to look at the grassy below, eyes widening severely.

"How did I-?!" Yami stopped his voice short, logging through his mind that he was no longer running through the streets, but in a whole different forest. "This makes no sense! How did I get here?! Dammit, **HOW**?!"

************

Mariku knew he was alone.

Sure Shinkou had followed him out the house, but it didn't take a genius to know that the other Egyptian had chosen a different direction to flow. And Mariku had a keen idea of where Shinkou had gone, hopefully no one would be dead, yet anyway. Ryou probably would not be happy to find the brunette strangling the life from Bakura. 

The yami gave a long sigh, hand combing through his hair softly as he stalked home. No one realized how stressful his mind was… He cared for Yami more than anyone could in Egypt, that anyone even bothered too…. And now….he was suffering again.

He had been fine! Perfectly fine and able to seclude his feelings behind cold and dark emotions, but when he heard of Yami's nightmares…

His feelings returned. Stalked him down and busted out of the bubble that stored them. What was he supposed to do?! Yami's in pain and Mariku was afraid of what he could slip against the other, the control would be nearly impossible.

"He's going to get hurt…demo…" His eyes dropped shut as his head lowered, body shuddering lightly in thought. "….I don't want to hurt him either…"

Mariku growled in anger to himself, finally stepping into the apartment he shared with his hikari, and speaking of the lighter half…

Malik was in NO good mood when he finally broke the binding that held him from the world, separating from his yami and glaring with rage. "What was that for?! How long have you locked me in there for- yes, sorry, my mistake, I don't have any sense of TIME in my soul room you realize!"

"Not now, Malik…" Mariku gave a scoff, waving a hand up to signal how he didn't wish to be bothered, but that didn't exactly stop the hikari like it used to.

"Doushite!? Why did you have to block out all my senses to the outside world as well?!"

"Aibou…" The tone was becoming more fierce as a headache was awakening from his forehead to the back, a free hand rubbing at the dark skin of a temple. 

"Y-!"

"What are you two bickering over ?" Mariku raised his head without a clue as his eyes met his lighter half's sister. 

"Isis…?"

"How good of you to remember my name, Mariku." She gave a soft smile, watching confusion dip over the yami's features. "I'll be staying with you both for a few weeks, until another museum calls for my assistance. My brother here has already approved, are you alright with it?"

Mariku stared at her calmly, eyes clung to hers until they caught sight of the Sennen Tauk that rested around her neck. "It is fine with me…..but may I talk to you, alone, for a moment?" She gave a nod and he glanced to his hikari, darkly at that. "_Malik_, if you mind…"

"Hn. _Fine_, I'll leave, better than being LOCKED in my soul room," Malik jeered, turning and moving out the door, slamming it shut behind.

"What is it that you need?"

"Have you had any….visions lately….?" He watched her eyes move to look at a wall, body shifting a bit uneasily.

"Well…"

"Isis…" he growled, stalking towards her slightly.

Her eyes snapped up at him and her posture held stiff. "It's nothing that will matter to you anyway!"

Mariku froze. "Is anything supposed to happen to Yami…?"

"How did you-"

"Isis! I need to know!" Now the spirit was frantic, lunging forward enough to grasp the girl's shoulders, staring straight into her eyes. "I have to know what's supposed to happen to him."

"He's….in danger…."

************

Hushed winds blew around where the former pharaoh stood, crimson eyes gazing around through the brink of his insanity. He still had no idea how he got…in a forest, away from where he was **period**! 

"What's going on…?" Yami whispered out into the air around him, hearing it echo on into the forest. His mouth opened a second time, as if ready to talk, but a rustle of something near startled him to turn around. A silvery cat stared up at him, as he stood in its path. "….." The feline mewed softly, though Yami failed to notice the glimmer of burning red eyes when it scattered away quickly. 

Yami turned in the direction, but the animal was gone and he fell back a step. "What…? My head….it hurts…" He gave a light groan, a slender hand laying atop his forehead as he drooped down towards a tree, his free hand running over the would and grasping hold to it. "Doushite…" _Why..? What's happening to me…? Why is the world….**not **the color it should be….? _The spirit's eyes narrowed in a way of refocusing, absolutely **believing **he saw the cat sitting before him again, and then realizing it was indeed there. Hissing at him, about to attack until he collapsed forward, causing a cry and surprise from the subtle being and it dashed off. 

A cold sweat lay atop the feverish male, his hands digging into the dirt before he felt his mind spin away.

************

__

"Is he ok?"

"When is he EVER ok?" Mariku growled lightly, throwing a glare at Shinkou. He passed the other, moving towards the door as he tossed a robe around his form. "I'll be back. **Stay **and keep Yami safe, if you don't you know I have full ability to harm you."

"Hai, he'll be fine."

Mariku gave a confirmed nod before leaving his "home" entering the streets with a face shadowed from his robe's hood. Food. The three were in severe need of it…and more bandages for that matter. But getting it was a simple task, being an expert thief it would be a piece of cake.

He swiftly moved into the market, ducking from a palace guard and moving towards a side cart, standing near it and watching russet eyes look up at him, a smirk plastered on the pale face as a cat lay curled on the table. "Unusual animal. Not often you see something of such a color. Matches your silver hair too."

"You think I didn't realize that?"

"Is it for sale?"

"Hardly."

The Egyptian cringed lightly at the rough voice, checking over the rare contents on display before snorting. "Then this spot is useless."

"Really now?" The other rose a brow, though it disappeared in the long, silvery locks of hair. Mariku grinned and rose his foot, knocking over the cart and sending the cat with a screech off its surface, scarlet eyes seething at him before hiding with a rigid hiss behind his master. The incident caused a light uproar, causing a few others to leave their carts to help the crash. Just what was needed.

"Really," Mariku chuckled a bit, disappearing in the crowd with the pale other raging curses at him, finding two carts that the owners had left to help, getting a flask, bandages and of course, various food to stuff in the robe's large pockets. "That was easy…"

Dark orbs made sure he was safe before swerving through the nation's people, escaping back into his home to where Shinkou sat at the small table. 

"That was quick."

"What did you expect?" Mariku chuckled, removing the robe and emptying the contents in the pockets over the wooden surface. "Is he still asleep?"

"Yeah."

Mariku gave a nod, taking a roll of the bandages and moving towards the room he had left Yami in, looking over the other calmly. 'He's so innocent…' _Mariku sighed and pulled over a chair, placing the roll on a table besides and sitting within the chair tiredly. _

The other seemed to stir lightly, as if sensing his presence, but did nothing to oppose it. His trimmed form rolled over, lids still closed over his eyes while he faced towards Mariku. The thief couldn't help but lightly smile, reaching a hand out to brush away a wisp of Yami's blonde hair. He leant in, getting a look at the sleeping other's facial features. So soft, so smooth, and yet always abused with tears and blood when he staggers here, or is found by himself or Shinkou. "Someone so virtuous as you shouldn't be so scathed…" Mariku bit his tongue to keep from speaking, trailing a finger by a hair's breadth over the other's lips. "So delicate…" The Egyptian bent down as if he were to kiss the other, but than snapped from his trance towards the other and began to pull away, much to his mind's disappointment.

************

Yami's hand reached out in his sleep, eyes still closed as if he were still in the memory, but it was never expected that he would come to grasp cloth. He pulled what seemed to be trying to wake him close, using his free and still shaky hand to find the form's hair, face, lips…

The hand was replaced by his own lips, pushed up against the startled figure.

The other form seemed to try and pull back, as if frightened by what was happening, but Yami held close before realizing this was real and he was no longer dreaming a memory. His eyes opened to stare at the one he beheld, only to see Mariku, sweating lightly in panic. Yami jumped back a bit, but collapsed to his back as he gaped to the other. _He….I….. _"G-Gomen n-nasai, Mariku!"

Mariku eyed the other, a light pant in his voice as he had felt something _in _that cherished gesture, staring shocked at Yami before shaking his head and standing. _It was nothing. It couldn't have been anything. _The yami sighed as he let the thought through before waving a hand up towards the opposing spirit. "Don't worry about it. You were unconscious and Isis said that you were in danger so I came to find you…"

__

So I must be near his place… Yami rose his crimson gaze towards the other softly. "Can I go back to your place…? I…really don't want to return to the game shop right now…"

"I understand," Mariku hid his blush as he pulled the other up off the ground, "yeah, you can come back to my place."

************

"Shinkou! I - why are you here?" Ryou opened the door, blinking at the other and stepping aside to allow him in, closing the door behind.

"I came to see your yami."

"Uh, really….um…ok…"

{Yami?}

[Yeah I heard…] There was a short glow from Ryou's ring before Bakura split from Ryou, and by Shinkou's glare to the spirit, Ryou escaped upstairs. In no way did he want to witness this. 

"Why is Yami trying to stay away from me?! What did I do?!" Were his first words and Shinkou circled him a moment, before stopping and staring off into the kitchen, brows furrowed.

"Did Ryou get a cat?"  


"_What_? No… What does that have to do with anything?!"

"Never mind, I thought I heard something." _And saw something, on the same matter…_

"Arg… Shinkou, I need an answer!"

"You can't have one," the Egyptian shot his gaze to the spirit who was taken aback by the responds before the brunette leant against a wall. "I, nor Mariku, will allow you anywhere near Yami. So don't bother trying unless you want pain, I'm not letting you hurt my cousin. I understand that you cannot figure what is going on, and it would be too stressful if I don't. It's better that way, until things get sorted out. Do I make myself _clear_?" Shinkou hissed his last words, eyes narrowing on an apprehensive spirit, watching him nod in acknowledgment.

"Hai…I understand…"

************

__

'That was weird..' Yami stared up at the ceiling from where he lay on the couch within the apartment of the three Ishtars. He could hear Malik bickering off with his dark half in some other room, and Isis was currently standing near him. He sighed and closed his eyes. _It doesn't make sense. Every memory I've had so far, has **me **in it the whole time…. I was asleep this time….so it really wasn't **my **memory. So… how did I envision it? _His eyes opened again and he sat up, meeting Isis's gaze for a moment before returning it to the wall.

"Are you alright?"

"Not really."

"Can I assist you?"

"Not really."

The female sighed and sat down in a chair, staring over at Yami, obviously getting the hint that he was in no move to talk. 

__

And that cat…. I swear I saw the same thing in the memory AND in the forest… No, that's just absurd. Yami gave a chuckle to himself as Mariku walked into the living room, cringing with an added 'eep' as a pillow roughly bounced off his head. "**MALIK**!!" The yami growled as the door slammed behind him, shaking his head as he stopped his walking to look at his hikari's sister and Yami. 

"What was **that **about?" 

"Your brother needs a new attitude," Mariku growled before he heard Yami asking Isis to leave.

Both pairs of eyes watched the girl leave, saying that she'd go take a walk before exiting the apartment. Yami sensed the other fidget a bit, even with his back turned, it was easily noticed. The former Pharaoh sighed and stared down at the floor before finally voicing out, the crimson gaze to the other's back. "Mariku, do you….have feelings for me?"

The spirit seemed to almost fall forward, turning to face Yami while trying to maintain his posture, but the wide eyes couldn't lie, and neither could the voice. "W-what…did you just say….?"

************

Malik grumbled over his yami and sat on his bed, hearing a rustle and watching a small cat walk across the room and rub against his legs. "Where'd you come from?" Malik rubbed a hand over the narrow spot between the duo silvery ears, red eyes blinking up at the hikari. "You're kind of cute…" The boy whispered, watching the cat swiftly jump up besides him, purring loudly while its head pushed against Malik's arm. He gave a smile, lifting the cat into his lap and ignoring the claws touch against his clothing. "You're good at lightening moods…" 

The hikari laid out on his back, the cat moving onto the bed and padding over by the boy's head, tail swiftly moving side to side as its eyes glinted towards the door.

************

Don't give me those weird looks! Shorter chappy than normal, but at least it's up! Let's see….oh! Right! This chapter was dedicated to Tidus, considering he gave me a push into writing and an idea, though by the time I got to typing, there wasn't much of the prompt left oO;;

And the cat. Yes, the cat is weird. Yes it is silver and has red eyes. And **yes**, this isn't the last time you'll see the little kitty. There was **only one **cat in this chapter, well, only one cat in the story. Last thing, one the cat: he (it is male if you didn't catch that) is a main character XD

I said stop with the stares! Meh….I have to go work on various things before people hurt me….


	4. Ask and Tell

Finally decided to start this, and I love it offff course! ^^;; 

Well, I finally got a shipper for this story. Don't know shippers? How can you not know shippers?! ::Strangles whoever doesn't.:: Well when you're done reading this and review for all the loverly bishes made to have this be a wonderful ficcy, look up the authoress LFangor, or simply look under my favorite author's list. Look at her list of shippers ^^ And read some stuff, but I'm sure you knew I'd say that.

So yeah, Clashshipping is Mariku/Yami.

****

Boldness is equal to kitty's thoughts/speech. More of thoughts. Lol, YES, he does have a train of mind.

"Wake me up inside, wake me up inside, call my name and save me from the dark." -Bring Me to Life: _Evanescence_

************

"I asked," Yami cleared his throat lightly, staring up sincerely from the couch, "do you have feelings for me?" His voice floated onto the air so calmly, the repeated question not at all shaken or anything. Mariku stared at him with a long gaze, that after a while, Yami was left to repeating himself a third time. "Mariku. Is it so hard to answer?"

__

'Hell yeah.' The spirit thought, trying to solve an easy way to answer the other. _'Dammit, I can't tell him the truth. Wouldn't be my style anyway, but I can't. I won't hurt him. I refuse to… I can't. I just can't!' _A hand down at Mariku's side clenched and his eyes narrowed with a cold glance, face glazing over. He had to keep stern, he had to keep dark and cold, it was the only way he knew of fooling Yami. He _had _to fool the other. No truth could ever leak from his very lips. And if Shinkou ever squeaked even one word on his feelings….

Then Yami would no longer have a cousin.

"No, it's not hard to answer. I have **_no _**feelings for you."

Yami seemed to frown, knowing very well from listening in on the other and his cousin, and from his flashbacks….that the other most definitely had feelings for him. _'He's afraid. He's _**actually** _afraid.' _Yami gave a short lived chuckle to himself before voicing again, quietly. "Is that so?"

"Very much, Pharaoh," his voice sneered and Yami shivered lightly, the coldness that was radiating was just plain scary. And it was all mustered up from within the depths of Mariku's mind, it was far from natural. 

At the mention of his title, Yami had to grip his hands against the couch's cushion. He hated being Pharaoh, and it was sure as hell Mariku knew that. _Why is he doing this to me? Why lie? _Yami suddenly seemed to snap. "Dammit, Mariku!"

The spirit seemed to internally jump, but managed to keep the stone cold face up as Yami stood and started towards him. "What the hell is your problem?! Why are you lying?!"

"I'm far from lying, idiot."

"Then why is it I heard different from when you spoke with Shinkou!" Yami hadn't meant to mention that, he really had hopes of not telling the other, but it was needed. 

Mariku's eyes widened and he backed up a bit, some of the cold aspects dripping from his features. "What did you just say?"

Yami had approached with a short distance separating them, eyes watching keenly at the other's distant reactions. "I heard you and Shinkou talking about the past." 

"It meant nothing! Nothing, dammit, Pharaoh!" Mariku hissed, turning his back on the other and starting to try and walk off until his arm was grabbed.

************

"Hey! Where are you going?" Malik flinched when he watched the cat jump up on a bookshelf, watching a fragile crystal sphere fall and crash. "Watch it!" The cat moved, though to be honest, Malik never saw him move, from the shelf to the open window, head nuzzling against the screen and trying to get out. "Look, I understand you're a stray, but you really shouldn't go back out there."

Red eyes spun around on him as the cat gave a high pitched hiss and Malik threw his hand up in defense. "I'll get you food in a little bit! My yami is out there, and I'm so tired of seeing his fucking face…so I'll get you something later, ok? Relax."

The hikari was surprised when the cat jumped from the window, glanced at the door to hiss at before prowling towards Malik. A glint in the eyes held to the ground as the creature nestled up against the human's legs with a purr.

************

Yami spun Mariku back around with a light growl, hand already having been readied for means of a hit as he cuffed the side of the other's face with a stinging slap that left a burning mark. The other fell back lightly in surprise, staring widely at the other as Yami hardly faltered, not regretting his means of action.

"You of all people should know how the title of 'Pharaoh' hurts. You should know because you outlived half of what I was going through and was always by my side. So why are you acting like everyone else now?! Like I'm just a ghost from the past and I don't matter in this time. I thought I found someone who understood, but I guess I'm just wrong again." 

The spirit tore away, despite the stagger he'd earned in his walk as he moved towards the door before Mariku could stop him. It hurt too much. The lies, the coldness, the rejection even though Yami hardly said what was even started to boil in his mind. His hand trailed along the doorknob before firmly grasping it open, slipping out before slamming the door shut and fleeing. He was used to fleeing by now.

"What……just happened…..?" Mariku slumped against the kitchen counter, head in a hand as it rubbed against his temples. "Perhaps….I've hurt him more with speaking lies….but he heard me before…." His free hand found an unlit candle and he clenched at the Midnight scented wax before throwing it across the room, watching it hit the back out the couch before rolling passed onto the floor. "Dammit! _Dammit_….why did I ever fall in love…"

************

The cat slipped out of the room, prodding its nose around some while Malik started out after the feline. It looked up at the yami, claws pricking against the ground as ears pulled back in a deadly ridiculed sound. "Hey, come on….cat…" Malik muttered, picking up the being as Mariku stared at him perplexed.

"When the hell did you get a cat?!"

"An hour ago. It was in my room. Were you…." Malik passed the confused look swiftly back so the light shined upon the other before finishing his started question. "….Were you crying?"

"Yes," Mariku responded drastically before making the same bout of leaving as he left the housing. "What if Isis was right about something….Her predictions have been wrong before, so how do I know something will actually happen….?" He left down onto the streets, slipping his hands into the pockets of his jeans with a sigh. 

__

"…Something of the past is coming for him. I cannot see what it is exactly, but he is in danger, Mariku. If you have any care or even a little bit of **heart **in that dark soul of yours. Please, onegai, **help **him."

He shook his head lightly. Heart. He had more heart than anymore for the petite sized Pharaoh, or at least that's how it seemed. But why did Yami have to run? "What if he DOES get caught…?"

"What are you rambling over with that tongue of yours?"

Mariku snapped his head to the side, given a slight sigh of relief that it was only Shinkou, sitting on the backing of a bench at the side of the road. 

"Isis had a prediction. That something from the past was coming for Yami…"

"Where's my cousin now…?"

"I….don't know."

"You lost him?!"

"He ran off!"

"How could you lose him?!" Shinkou was now standing on the seating of the bench, voice snapping down at Mariku until the spirit forced him from the wooden chair. 

"He ran out because he seemed to _know _I was lying to him when I said I didn't care! Dammit, Mariku, he heard us! He was awake when we were talking! He heard…"

"So he heard the confession you gave to me about him, but then you said something different when he actually asked…"

"Hai…he was angered and ran out after slapping me…." Mariku sagged down onto the bench, hands on each side of his face as he stare down at the ground. "I figured he wouldn't be hurt, if I lied. But I think I hurt him even more. He think no one cares for him…and it's far from true…"

"I'm sure we'll find him…"

"What if it's too late again?"

"We can't focus on the past right now. Just think about the future," Shinkou barked out softly, hating the other's sudden pessimism but helped the other stand again. "Come on, let's go after him."

************

"Malik?" Isis came back into the house to see her brother standing by a window sadly. "What happened? Did your yami do something to you…?"

"No….I lost my cat….he disappeared…" 

"Since when did you have a cat?"

"An hour and a half ago…" He whispered, looking back up to his sister. "That cat felt special, I figured I could relate to him." 

************

Yami moved slowly down the center of the road, not caring what would happen if are car or struck just went zoom-zoom-zoom-SPLAT! Into him. If it happened, it would probably be for the better. No one would care or notice anyway, not even the driver who did it. They'd just vroom-away on their merry way and not notice they just murdered a pedestrian.

****

At least there hasn't been too much of a change. The feline stared down from a branch of a tree, as Yami moved along, it continuously faded from one tree to the next in the path, an agility movement. **The past will always hunt… **The feline purred in soft delight, a glow illuminating around its trim form as claws dug against the branch he rested on. Red eyes flickered a moment and he watched as down below Yami had stopped moving, looking around wearily. **The Pharaoh falls again. Hn. **The shadow below Yami was about to leap up and coat him, but something set the cat out-of-whack and the means of darkness fell away.

"Yami!" 

****

Not _him _again… The cat hissed and faded from one tree to one on the other side of the road, glaring down as Mariku and Shinkou ran towards him. **Both of them…**

"What do you two want…" Yami stared up with a blank gaze, the sight of it sickening to all that knew him as his normal self. 

"Yami, look, I-"

"I don't want to hear it, Mariku. I understand now that I just wasn't meant to be happy. How could I ever be happy? How could I even THINK that anyone could possibly care about such a weak little Pharaoh? Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound weaker with that. I'm sorry." 

"Yami….what's….wrong with you….?" Shinkou backed away a little from his cousin when the other began to approach him, but Mariku stepped infront of him.

"What do you want. Go away, I just want to make someone else in pain other then myself."

"Yami…"

"Don't use that soft tone with me, you don't mean it."

"That's not true!"

"Fuck off," Yami hissed, pushing Mariku aside and stalking with a blood thirsty air around him towards Shinkou. It was if he were hunting for meat. 

"Y-Yami….you don't understand! We don't think you're weak at all, far fr-"

"I am not weak. I will prove it." He fished a hand quickly in his pocket, removing it again to flick out the blade in his pocket knife that he had bought after leaving Mariku's. "I will _prove _to you how strong _I _am and how weak _you _are."

************

Bakura sat in the dim living room, body slumping forward and hand cupped in his lap and his head ducked slightly. He hadn't moved since Shinkou had left, and Ryou was starting to get more than worried as he watching from the door way. "Yami?"

"I didn't do anything….why am I being punished from my lover….I've done nothing wrong…." 

Ryou blinked and moved to sit across from his dark half. "I guess everyone thinks you did something, even I don't know what's really going on…"

"Then why don't they tell me…"

"I don't….really know, Yami…" The hikari sighed and stood up, looking down at the pathetic state Bakura had fallen into. "How about this, I'll try to find Yuugi or someone, maybe Seto, or Otogi. They may know something. Ok? But you have to **promise **you'll stay here."

"I will. I won't leave. Just find out what everyone thinks I've done so wrong…"

The boy gave a curt nod and stood, grabbing his teal overcoat from a hook and slipping it on before getting quickly out of the dismal home. "Who would know more of what's going on…? Hn…I guess previous mentioned two….neh…now which is closer….?" He glanced up at the sky, finally deciding on going over to Otogi's shop. He did, after all, stay longer at the house. 

************

Shinkou sat on the ground, hand clutched around his opposing arm and eyes wielded shut as his teeth stayed clenched in pain. Yami stood over him, his thumb sliding the blade shut again. It had happened so quickly that the former Pharaoh had lashed out, giving Mariku no chance at all to help the other. "Shinkou…you alright…?"

"I….y-yeah…" He murmured, trying to stop the bleeding as Mariku snapped out and grabbed Yami, forcing the other's arms strongly against his small body.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Proving myself."

"You're proving yourself as a cold hearted bastard, not the one I care for!" Mariku snapped out and Yami blinked at the power of the words, his eyes starting to return to their normal gaze.

****

How boring. I was hoping I taught the little boy something. Oh well….this is unbearably boring… The feline gracefully descended from the tree, tail up straight in the air as he moved towards the group slightly. **If those two get in my way again, they'll have more pain than this…. **A single claw struck against the ground as if hoping to squish an insect, a light aura encasing the mitt as it pushed against a section of sand on the sidewalk. **Feel the wrath of a Millennia in waiting, Pharaoh… **If a cat could smirk, this one surely was a master at it, a black shadow filling like ink from below where Yami stood, causing Mariku to react in trying to pull the other away.

"What's….happening….?" Yami's sadistic nature was taking a rapid fall, but his eyes couldn't leave the sight of the darkness below him. And he couldn't allow himself to move from it.

"Not again….why is this happening again….Yami come on, MOVE!"

"Again..? What are you talking about…?"

"Please….just _move_…" Mariku actually started to beg, not noticing Shinkou had fainted due to lack of blood. Yami finally started to move from the substance below him but it had began to glue upon his feet and he was stuck before he felt a piercing of pain and his knees buckled, having fallen if Mariku hadn't caught him. "Yami….**_YAMI_**?!"

****

All good fun. Now to visit a present _friend _of mine… The cat chuckled as he heard Yami's breath hitch then silence as he was sent spinning into a dreary world of the unconsciousness. That was when the feline made a departure.

************

__

"That low down, good for nothing, street bastard…" Bakura growled from the shadows, watching from a corner as a few members of Yami's council passed by. "Where the hell has that little slave of mine gone off to now…?!" He hung his head in anger, pulling the hood up of his robe over his head to hide his face within the shadows of it. He slid out of the small corridor, blending with a few of the lower ranking priests. 

"Has he been found yet?!" A voice snapped out in worry and Bakura rose his eyes slightly to see the High-Priest standing before the opposing four he hid in the back of. 

"Iie, sir. The guards are all in the streets in search."

"Find HIM!"

They nodded and scattered, leaving Bakura to stare from beneath his hood at the other. "I'm sure he'll be found sir, I'll be sure of it."

"Good."

Bakura smirked at the stupidity of the brunette and moved on his bloody way. 'Oh yes…I'll find that good for nothing rat….He's mine, after all. I would have figured if he were in the streets though, that I would have seen him in the market. Maybe he's smarter than I thought….ha.' _The dark fiend shook his head in amusement, though growled at the thought of some blonde fool knocking over his cart when he was in the market. He left the palace, figuring if he kept within the market he could find some evidence of where his pet had gone off to._

************

Bakura chuckled in minor surprise when he found the brunette he found in the palace, the High-Priest. Maybe he could have some fun with someone else… "Why hello, again.."

"You should be searching for the Pharaoh, what are you doing?"

"Playing games on unsuspecting bakas… Nothing new for me…" He chuckled, a pale hand being seen move from his sleeve and run along the cream-toned skin of Seth's face. "So beautiful….maybe more so than the Pharaoh…"

Seth jolted away with a ragged his, "What do you know of the Pharaoh?!"

"Oh, so much more than you. I know his lips for one thing….can yours test against his pathetic ones?" Bakura smirked and forced the priest against him, right in the middle of the streets as he assaulted the other's flesh. No one truly noticed, not until Bakura pulled away and swung a leg around into the other's side, causing him to tripped off to the side against a few random citizens. "Nope. I like my little slave better, which means I must find the pet again. Don't give me that look." The hood slipped from his head, silver hair patted back as russet eyes glared narrowly as Seth toppled over to the ground from a second kick. 

"**GUARDS!!**"

"Awww….the high-priest-and-mighty can't handle a poor helpless thief. How **sad**," Bakura scoffed, turning away and allowing the gap between them to fill with other people as Seth stood again, trying to fight back towards the dark one. Bakura tossed up a hand as a wave, his opposing arm raising vaguely for his hand to readjust the hood of his robe. "I'll tell the runt you said hi!" He stated with a mock, but knew very well Seth hung on each word in anger.

************

Shinkou and Mariku found it easy to move Yami to a near bench, not quite sure if they should bring the limp form home. Actually, truth was that they had no where to take him without others fretting over the yami and crowding his space. 

"Don't you have a _house_, Shinkou?" Mariku glanced up as he lifted Yami slightly, sitting down and cradling Yami's head in his lap. The unconscious body gave him quite a scare, he had to admit. Now it was only time they had to wait on. 

"You should know I'm a wanderer. So no, I don't have a house."

"So where have you been _staying_?"

"Had a hotel room for a few days, checked out over the phone a few hours ago. I'll wander again if I have to, but that hotel was out of the city, and I have a cousin _and you _to watch over."

Mariku gave a nod and a slight smile as he brushed a hand through Yami's hair. "Thanks. He'll need both of us, I'm afraid. Afraid of what's trying to get him that is…."

"Same here.."

************

Ryou walked calmly to approach Otogi's shop, blinking as he noticed a sign hanging from the inside saying it was closed. Curiously, Ryou gave a knock, then tried the door's handle and found that it was unlocked. He blinked and pulled open the door, slipping inside and finding it easy to see around as all the lights were still on. He moved through towards the back room, calling out to see if Otogi was in, but found no answer.

__

'Why would he leave the shop open?' The silver haired gave a minor shrug, then jumped in a bit of surprise as he stood in the doorway. _'Oh, crap…it must be Sunday….' _He bit his lip, seeing Otogi sitting on the floor with Honda curled in his arms, both seemingly in a deep sleep. 

The thing is with the two, they made up a really ridiculous custom that on every Sunday, they would spend their time together all day. Though most of the time, no one ever knew where they always went. Yet it seemed they would sleep together here…

Ryou shook his head and turned away, exiting the shop and glancing around. "I guess I have to find Seto then…" His voice trailed off as his head turned to look back through the shop's door and his eyes watered slightly as a bit of panic started to rise. "Oh….oh….**_SHIT_**!" The hikari quickly covered his mouth in a reaction from the sudden swearing he obtained before fleeing out into the streets, having to see Seto quickly no matter what day it was.

"It's **_Sunday_**! School starts up again from our month of vacation after Yami and Bakura flooded the school!!" He whimpered a bit. That was a problem in life. School. Who designed _that_?! The yamis had it lucky, they were able to not go, but everyone else (which includes Shinkou, who had to register in) were trapped. "This is a VERY bad week…" 

************

Ok, yeah so the school thing was kind of random. But I thought it over and found I actually need it, in a warped sense. Half the characters need to be SOMEWHERE after all. 

Anymore questions on the cat? Only one person other than myself knows about him. But perhaps you're started to get some of a sense of what/who it is. If you have any thoughts about him, gladly tell me in a review, I like to hear what others think ^^

Ahhh….and Yami….well, he had a few personalities in this chapter….but….I enjoyed him ^-^ he was fun to try emotions with. And I liked how I was able to get a decent argument between him and Mariku.

(I only edited half the chapter oO;;)

Everyone give a clap and a review ^^ Makes me and my muses happy.


	5. Painful Memories

……….. ……………… …………….

Don't look at me like that! I know it's been awhile! I couldn't get passed a certain point and I finally took a different approach. Was going to have Ryou do a lot in this chapter….instead it's that little first part and that's IT. Doesn't even make much sense….oi…..gomen nasai minna…

Warning: Yaoi (duh), violence.

"Sometimes I think tradition sucks." -Old teacher: _Black Sash_

************

"Ryou! _Ryou_! Relax already!" The silver haired was in a burst of speed towards the Kaiba mansion as it was already becoming dark outside. A cell phone a special someone (who he would never mention who it was) bought for him was clutched tightly in a sweaty palm. Yuugi's voice touched over loudly through the receiver, trying to get his friend to calm down….even a LITTLE bit more relaxed than he was.

"Calm **down**?! How the heck do I calm down, Yuugi? It totally blew over my mind!"

"Well….um…..just take some good deep breathes. In and out…..in and out….I-"

"Forgive me, Yuugi," Ryou said before pushing the power button on the phone, closing it up and sliding it into his pocket. Where was he going again? Ah, right, Seto's.

************

__

Up….down…where am I….? His body spun in various directions, slowly through the darkness of his mind. Or that's where he figured he was. _Where…am…I….Mariku? Shinkou? Someone help….I can't get out of here…. _Yami curled his body together, whimpering lightly as it seemed to get DARKER than it already was. _How am I getting out of here…? _He started coughing, his body being pulled at until he found himself standing in the middle of the darkness, watching it swirl into images of Ancient Egypt. 

He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out and his air supply was starting to drop. _Mariku… _

__

Bakura waltzed down through the market away from Seth, intent to find his lost "puppy" and planned to burn whatever took the Pharaoh away from him. No one would get away for such a crime…

The thief pulled off the hood of his robe, eyes narrowing down a path he'd never really noticed before. "There hasn't been one part of this city I haven't been…." He growled, starting down it slowly, taking note of the darkening area. He smirked suddenly, noticing a small building and put on a soft face, knocking on the door. Perhaps here he could find his little rat…. Internally he laughed, but stayed quiet and soft as someone with brown hair opened the door.

"Can I….help you?"

"I was looking for somewhere to stay….I thought this place was vacant….I….guess not…." He sighed, lowering his head a bit.

"Well….Mariku is out right now…but I guess you could stay just for a few minutes until he gets back…he can find you a place to stay," Shinkou forced a smile and let the other inside, closing the door behind. Bakura slid inside, chuckling to himself as the other had his back turned and wandered a glance towards a closed room. 'Well, well, I wonder what's hiding in there…' _"Make yourself comfortable…I guess…"_

"Thanks. Is it just you and this 'Mariku' person living here?"

"Well, not quite - I mean, yes. Just us."

Bakura nodded in the direction of the room. "Then who's in there."

"No one….well, except our….um….sick pet…" 

"Really? I can be a decent healer," Bakura spoke out, pushing passed Shinkou and opening the door, standing in the doorway. His innocent looking face danced alive, smiling darkly with a low laugh. "A sick pet indeed…" 

Yami lay in the bed with his back to them, sleeping soundly. Bakura stepped farther into the room, turning to face a semi-panicked Shinkou. "I am like a Cleric of these times, allow me to heal this other in peace…" 

Shinkou froze, looking towards Yami before slowly nodding, closing the door softly behind the other. 

************

"Well, so this is where you've been hiding…." A smirk plastered triumphantly over Bakura's face as he reached a pale hand down. He gently held one of the blonde bangs of the other in his hands, softly running his fingers over it.

"Mariku…" The other whispered and Bakura suddenly frowned, glaring narrowly at the Pharaoh. 

"You little…..how dare you betray me…." Bakura's hand tightened around the strand of hair, pulling at it roughly and watching the other curl, tearing his head free and hiding beneath the covers. "Did you think you could hide from me?!"

************

"I'm back," Mariku muttered, tossing a few loafs over bread on the table and looked up at Shinkou who was pacing among the ground. "What is it?"

"A Cleric came in….he's in with Yami…"

"You left him alone…?"

"He wanted privacy….he looks like someone who could help."

Mariku gave a sigh, shaking his head. "Well let's hope so, I can't tell if Yami's doing any better anymore…"

************

Bakura jumped on the bed, sitting atop Yami who immediately snapped awake at the new weight that crushed against his slowly healing wounds. He cried out, but a hand slapped him across the face and the other snapped over his mouth so he couldn't scream. The hand that had slapped him grabbed the Pharaoh's neck, pulling him to sit up as Bakura's eyes blazed with anger as he stared at the shaking other.

"How dare you! Trying to hide from **me**?! I am you master, **Pharaoh**, learn your lesson….you'll never be able to run from me!" He removed the hand from the other's mouth, hearing Yami start to whimper and he hit him hard across the face, ignoring the trail of blood that was starting to join the sheets below. "You good for nothing bitch…" He sneered, getting off the bed and dragging Yami off as well, throwing him into the wall head first. 

The other had tears streaming down his face, wanting to scream for help….to cry….but….He knew better. Bakura would just hurt him more, or worse off and hurt Mariku… He couldn't let that happened! He would just have to take the pain… His head was in so much pain though and he knew what the wetness atop it was. His vision momentarily blurred and when it came back to normal, Bakura was already pulling his half limp form up again. Yami's knees buckled and he started to fall again with the only thing holding him up was the deadly grip around his neck, pressure being applied until he was becoming dizzy. 

"Feel the pain of what you've been missing, Pharaoh, my little love….slave, **PET**!"

He couldn't breath.

************

Mariku flung himself out of the chair the moment he heard a loud thud from inside the room. He and Shinkou worked on opening the door, but it was literally sealed shut. 

"Yami….Yami……no…." Mariku was in tears, watching a dark fog pouring off from the knob and Mariku slammed a fist against the plank of wood. "NO DAMMIT!" 

"Relax, Mariku, I'm sure we can-"

"This is YOUR fault!" Mariku hissed, pushing the other away from him as he held up a palm towards the door, the entire room starting to darken. Shinkou looked around rapidly as the other's body began to radiate with dark energy, his voice completely haunting and lifeless sounding. "I enlist the powers of the darkness from the Shadow Realm," the blonde gave a long, pained hiss, his body exploding with a magenta glow that burst against the door, slowly picking at it to pieces. 

Bakura lifted his eyes and dropped Yami, the Pharaoh falling to a heap. "You…" He growled, recognizing Mariku with ease. His eyes looked frantically around him, the dark energy coming off Mariku and ascending towards the silver-fiend. "Wait…I should be thanking you…." Bakura started to laugh, pulling Yami to stand and kicked the other forcefully, sending him stumbling into Mariku.

"Gah-" Mariku fell back, loosing hold to the energy that Bakura turned to his own.

"Thank you for opening the gate to the Shadow Realm…everyone will be looking for the one who opened the rift and cause the destruction of their, **poor**, **poor **city…..Mariku was it? Oh….you would have made such a good ally…" Bakura turned towards the window, a trail of the purple fog following into his body as he pulled with ease onto the sill and jumped out, disappearing with the energy as well. 

************

Yami's body jolted in the darkness it lay in, falling cold to the ground and started to hyperventilate. His mind woke and he opened his eyes to feel himself in someone's lap, bending forward and making motions as if he were going to get sick. His arms pulled around his stomach as he sat up, feeling a pair of arms wrap around him and pull him back, a hand stroking against his hair, only slightly calming him.

"Relax, relax…you'll be ok…." The voice whispered, still holding the convulsing other. "Shinkou, get some water!"

The brunette nodded, moving into the kitchen and slightly held to his arm that was now wrapped with a strong bandage. It was nearly forgotten that his cousin had slashed at him with a blade…it didn't matter…the other was in a confusing matter. He couldn't be blamed…

Shinkou sighed, shaking his head and walking back towards the couch in Mariku's apartment, handing the dark blonde spirit the glass. "Yami…?"

Yami was still shaking, his eyes wide as he panted unsteadily, hands clenching and unclenching around the arm that held him in place, which happened to be one of Mariku's. The former ruler hardly even could take in his surroundings, and he hardly knew he was sitting in Mariku's lap until the other held the glass in front of his eyes. 

"Yami….snap out of it, listen to my voice, _please_…." Mariku was starting to get worried as the other still made no connection or sign that he knew where he was. He placed down the glass of water, glancing at Shinkou as he grabbed both of Yami's arms and halted him from his frantic movements, lifting him a bit as he turned Yami to face him. "Yami-"

"I'm sorry……Did he hurt you? No? Gods….I'm sorry……I-I never thought he would find me…. Of course it's my fault… Why didn't I tell you? How could I?! He'd hurt me again….more….he'd hurt you both…. I-I know, but you don't understand! You never will…. He loves me…. I k-know he does…..he has to….. What are you talking about?! No! Let me go! He'll be back! …..Of course he will be! He always finds me again… I'm the Pharaoh! I **order **you to let me leave at once! ….NO!? What do you mean **NO**?! Please….Mariku, Shinkou, let me go…the Shadow Realm is opened again….I have to stop him…. Please, just let me go…." Yami's voice trailed off, he had been still stuck in a trance of the 'memory' and just now finally broke out of it. He closed his eyes, curling against Mariku as he started crying, trying to hide himself in the other's arms.

Shinkou stared widely, mouth opened as he was done hearing the other talk. "He relived it. He was talking to us as if he were in the past….I remember that…..he was so desperate to get away….."

Mariku bit his lip, running a hand down the other's cheek to his neck and started to rub away the tension, ignoring Shinkou. He didn't need the other to tell him what Yami had been reciting, he lived the same moment. Yami had wanted to go after Bakura, even when the Pharaoh couldn't even move from how Bakura had abused him. But neither him nor Shinkou would let Yami go….it was amazing that he could even talk, Yami was nearly dead at that point…

Even thinking about that whole moment hurt, he embrace Yami tightly, allowing him to hide but he did shift Yami slightly. Shinkou sat uneasily in a chair, watching quietly as it seemed all he could do. 

The spirit holding Yami lifted the other's head and started to nuzzle the at the neck, hearing a light gasp breaking through the whimpering sounds of the former pharaoh. "You're ok now…..that was all in the past…." Yami continued to tremble, breaths were ragged and tears still dripped, but he had stopped making the light whimpering noises as Mariku continued to rub his head against his neck.

"………..Mariku…….?"

"I'm sorry, Yami," he whispered, gently and slowly kissing the notch of Yami's neck, pulling away and looking in the other direction, thankful Shinkou had moved away into another room. "…I do care….about you…" He gulped, feeling Yami lean against him and he held the other close. "I thought it would hurt you more if you knew…."

"Well you were wrong," Yami murmured, hardly audible as he held onto the other's shirt, keeping close to the opposing spirit while he still recovered from his previous state of being unconscious..

************

****

This is it… The feline smirked as decent as the anatomy of a cat could allow. He stood at the doorway to Bakura's home, his body suddenly fading lightly and he went through the door. It was dark, but not dark enough for the cat's liking. 

It nimbly sniffed at the air, picking up the scent of the spirit and moving toward the couch in the living room, jumping in what looked like slow motion and landed on the backing to the couch. He looked down at the spirit who lay in a dismal bundle. The cat tilted his head, jumping down onto Bakura's stomach and staring at the yami who hardly even flinched. **Perfect. He'll be a wonderful puppet… **The feline pawed the Sennen Ring, bending his head over and licking at the metal, pawing it a second time and it began to glow.

Bakura jumped from his "trance" at the glowing ring, forcing the cat off him which hissed out and landed on all fours on a table. "Where the hell did you come from?!"

****

Foolish… The cat hissed out a second time, sounding more like a darkened growl of a bobcat. 

Bakura grabbed a pillow, throwing it at the cat who jumped over it and threw itself at Bakura, slashing at one of the human's cheeks. **Bathe in your blood, transfer your power, I am you, and you are me…. **It's small voice chuckled within his AND Bakura's mind, the string of the ring suddenly snapping and fell to the floor, its glow falling away. 

The spirit stared at the cat that jumped down and looked up at him. **Sleep… **It whispered, the cut along Bakura's face glowing until he went limp against the couch, hardly on it at that. **You are Yami Bakura…..heh….and I…. **He paused in thought.

The feline jumped to the ground, looking at the strap of the ring and nudging it with his nose, a glow forming and bound it back together before slipping the string over his small head. A golden and silvery glow suddenly burst out in a blaze of energy and a deep laugh rung through the room as the cat's bodily form shifting greatly and growing. When the glow faded away, the Sennen Ring rested over the torso of the once cat, and now a form looking exactly like Bakura….only darker. 

He laughed, looking down at the sleeping other and began laughing. His voice was sharp and rough, like a razor cutting through glass almost. 

"And I am Rekhi Bakura…." The form sneered, fiddling with the ring before turning on his heel, easily moving through the door just as he done when he had been a cat. "….You won't be hard to find now Pharaoh….you know that I always find my lost little pets…."

************

See? Kitty has a purpose. Did anyone actually understand it? The last line probably helped give it away, HOPEFULLY anyway, kind of why it was there. *Shrug* You know, I was going to have humor in this chapter, and you know what? It failed. I should have cut out the beginning with Ryou, but I changed my mind. The memoryish thing took over three pages oO;; I had fun with it XD!! Chapter is a bit shorted than I wanted it to be, but it was a perfect place to end….so I had to XD 

And Shinkou was an idiot in Egypt, I know, but oh well….we all have our quirks. 

And it had fluff! Not much, but it was some!

Now be really nice to little ol' me who wrote this in one day….and review ^^ 


	6. Torment

Neh…Gomen…haven't updated this in awhile. But now that I am, I feel like putting someone else through hell. Kwee ^^ Soo….this is basically a Shinkou-angst chapter, sort of, whatever, though there is more with Rekhi and thus a new pairing…hn… ::Goes to check shipper list quickly.:: Oh damn….must bug LF to make a new shipper it seems….

"You need professional help son." -Agent Kay: _Men in Black II_

************

__

"Yami! Yami, STOP!" Mariku hissed out, moving forward quickly and pulling Yami against him. The young Pharaoh persisted in chasing down Bakura and forced himself to stand, limping for the door until the point where Mariku stopped him.

"I have to…"

"Yami, please," Mariku begged, arms lightly encircling the other, not wanting to hurt Yami's wounds. "You're in no condition to do anything…" 

"I can never do anything! There's no difference! Yami broke away, but as soon as he had lost his support, he tumbled to his knees.

"Shinkou has gone after him, but you **have **to rest…" Mariku knelt down besides the Pharaoh, putting an arm around the other's shoulder and was not surprised when Yami leant into him.

************

There was rain.

Pouring and hammering rain.

=FLASH=

__

"Why are you running?! Get back here!"

It fell against the rooftops, leaking a trail to the gutter.

Lightning….the afternoon was becoming such a mess.

=FLASH=

__

"I wouldn't have to run from a runt like you!"

Yami slept for the most part peacefully against Mariku, only a few memories still opening in his mind. The blonde smiled down at the other, stroking at the fine detailed hair. Though every so often he cast a look to the chair Shinkou was seated in, internally wondering why the brunette had such a face directed towards the ground.

=FLASH=

__

"Then show me! Now that the Shadow Realm is opened, I'll do whatever I can to avenge my cousin!"

"Oh? My pet Pharaoh is your cousin? How sweet. But you're in way over your head, ahou."

"Prove it!" A crimson glow brightly danced through the vision, breaking away as the voice called out again. "Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"

Yami rolled closer against Mariku, happily nuzzling the warmth and allowed himself to smile full-heartedly. Again Mariku watched Shinkou, finally voicing out if the other was ok…But Shinkou made no response, his hazel eyes still holding gaze to the floor.

=FLASH=

__

"I told you, you have no idea who you're messing with! I'll make an oath that I will rule over the realm of shadows and this **pathetic **country!" A second flash of crimson, like thick blood ran openly, rivaling the last one and faded as tremendous power provoked the mind. "I've put my power over that runt of Pharaoh and see my all-mighty reward?!"

Mariku mumbled how Shinkou was a piece of work, slowly moving Yami to lay against the couch as he stood. The spirit knelt in front of the of the other, reaching out to shake the other as he spoke. "Shinkou! Hey, you alive?"

=FLASH=

__

"Saint Dragon Osiris, I am your **true **master! I call you forth, **arise**!"

Mariku started as Shinkou's eyes widened and he snapped out of his "trance," his body shaking as if it had been hit, his breaths long and ragged. "Shinkou! What is it? What happened?!"

"O-Osiris…"

************ 

Rekhi seemed more curious of the world through the eyes of a human again than finding Yami. The rain of the afternoon had calmed down greatly, the short lasting storm passing on - yet it still was thick. Not enough to bother the strong willed. He'd walked passed a few parked cars, running a pale hand over their surface before moving on.

"Interesting, but odd…very odd…" he mumbled, a few minutes later he halted after he went beyond a telephone pole and walked back to it curiously. A small flier was posted to it, intriguing him deeply by what it read.

****

LOST CAT

Silvery fur

Red eyes

If found, please contact Malik Ishtar

It went on about the phone number and address. Rekhi tore down the flier and smirked slightly. "Ishtar, is it? He's one of the acquaintances of the Pharaoh…" His smirk grew and he folded up the paper, slipping it into a pocket of his deep gray jeans and continued down the street, following the line-up of newly posted fliers until there was an abrupt stop.

Malik Ishtar stood with a staple gun, finishing his job with the current flier and started to move ahead, a good abundance of papers still at hand.

"Malik!"

The said form turned around, blinking in surprise that was targeted at the body that _looked _like Bakura, but something seemed…different. "Bakura? What are you doing….ah….out of the house?"

Rekhi stepped towards the other a bit more, naturally smiling. "I wanted to see you," he whispered, enjoying the startled look on Malik's face.

"M-Me…?"

"Mm…" Rekhi stepped further. "You shouldn't be alone in the rain."

Malik could feel the other's breath on his face, dropping the staple gun into a puddle, the fliers long gone down the street as they blew off with the rain pattern. This was much closer than Malik ever expected to be to anyone, let alone it being Bakura…

************

"What did you say…?" Mariku managed to whisper, voice being drowned out by the rain slightly.

"Is he ok?"

Mariku rose his head towards the couch, glancing at Yami and wished the other would have stayed asleep. Everyone would agree that he needed it.

"I'm…not exactly sure…" Mariku saw Yami sit up and looked towards Shinkou again. The brunette was still shaking, horror in his eyes. "All he's said was 'Osiris' and that was all…"

=FLASH=

__

Lightning struck down, hitting in a hurricane of energy against the black dragon and tore it to shreds.

Yami stood and moved behind Mariku, staring at his statue of a cousin. "Osiris? As the God of the Dead or the card?"

"I'm not sure, all he said was the name."

=FLASH=

__

A form fell to the ground from the rushed force, the feeling of gravity pushing him down. His opponent was long gone, but the Saint Dragon seemed to have only begun, immense darkness of magenta and violet echoed around, Osiris answering the demands of the Shadow Realm.

"He'll destroy it all…" Shinkou whispered, his hands digging at his hair. "Bakura has complete…control…he….oh god….no…."

Yami bit his lip and shifted the weight on his feet, looking to Mariku who suddenly mirrored Shinkou's expression. "I don't get it…"

"Osiris, the Saint Dragon…" Mariku whispered, starting to know and recognize what Shinkou mumbled.

=FLASH=

The tail wavered through the air, moving on without a care, lightning crashed around the unusually deserted streets. The form of a human still seated in a terrified state on the ground whispered in far as if he were about to die. The hazel gaze closed shut at that moment, a second rush of power overtaking him.

Shinkou's body tilted to the side, his eyes slowly closing in tiredness, enough to be unresponsive.

"I don't get it…" Yami spoke again. Mariku looked up at him quietly and stood, watching down at the other. 

"Your memories have lapsed to where Bakura escaped after the Shadow Realm was opened, right?" Yami slowly gave a nod. "Well, Shinkou went after Bakura, who somehow managed to summon Osiris - technically only you were supposed to be able to. It was a messy battle, I couldn't find him. And he wouldn't talk about what happened in the battle."

Yami slumped a bit and looked away. "He was able to summon Osiris because I was too weak…Osiris wished a strong master…"

"Shut up," Mariku snapped and Yami glanced at him nervously. "You're _far _from weak if you've survived all of this for so long." Mariku wrapped his arms around the other, embracing him silently and rested his head in the other's hair. "Hell if I ever could."

************

__

Shinkou groaned, holding his head as he rolled over in pain. "I can't believe that just happened…" His body curled slightly, the world spinning before his hazel eyes. "How did he…"

"You there! On your feet, **now**!" 

Voices? Who's stupid enough to come out here?

It seemed closer now… "I said on your feet!!"

"Easy for you to say…" Shinkou managed out before feeling a harsh kick in his side. "Ow…dammit…, come on man…I've had a rough day…"

Shinkou grunted, feeling pulled up harshly to his feet to be eye to eye with Seth. 

"Who's the one who brought out Osiris?!" the priest snapped, still gripping the other right up, azure eyes almost starting in a hissing sense. They were so cold…

"I don't know…" Seth started to shake Shinkou, who's head rolled back slightly before speaking again. "I really don't! He went that way!" He paused to signal in the direction he meant. "Silver hair, brown eyes!"

Seth released Shinkou, who managed somehow to stay standing. The priest moved in the direction Shinkou had mentioned, but stopped soon after, calling out to wherever his dragon was currently searching streets. "Come forth, White Dragon!" The being arose from the misty sky, moving in as if already knowing its command and flew down into the street, head rearing into the air to launch a charged ball of lightning up as a signal to the guards where he was and where the dragon was going before it was gone into the darkness.

He turned around, grabbing part of Shinkou's shirt and started pushing him towards the palace.

"H-Hey!"

"Come on, get moving."

Shinkou gave a blank stare in the direction of the other, but was merely propelled forward again, falling to his knees. Seth stood over him with a glare, heaving Shinkou to his feet for probably the third time again. "**Get moving**." 

"Why….?"

"Look," Seth snapped with frustration. "The streets have been evacuated for awhile now - everyone is in a house of some sort but the guards, myself, and you, and the renegade who summoned Osiris. You know what he looks like and you're the only one who was witnessing Osiris' birth. Since you seem like the person who doesn't even know the **meaning **of shelter, you are going to the palace."

"Oh," Shinkou mouthed, sighing as he started to move on his own with a sigh. Great. He just loved being a witness. 

************

Rekhi nuzzled against Malik's neck, much deeply to the other's surprise as he started to nip at the flesh there. "B-Bakura…." Malik bit his lip, unconsciously drawing the other closer as he felt the other start to lap at him like some kitten. The hikari blinked a bit, rolling his head back to look at the flier on the pole he was against and questioned out to Rekhi who had started the process over again with his neck. "Have you seen my cat….?"

"Mmmhmm…" Rekhi hummed, lifting his head as he placed a hand upon the other's cheek and started to slide his lips over the other's jawbone.

"Y-You have?!"

"I am him, dear boy," Rekhi whispered, lifting his head back for the other to see a red touch in his eyes.

Malik blinked more than once before he could even form words, but those eyes….they _couldn't _be….but they seemed so much like the feline…and the way the other was touching him…

"B-Bakura…?"

"Mmm….call me Rekhi…." he whispered back, meeting the other's lips for a brief moment. "And why don't we return to your place….hn?"

"W-What about Yami….?"

"The Pharaoh?" he shrugged, pulling off a comment with ease. "He was never a good kisser - such a weakling too," Rekhi smirked, kissing the other once more. "Please? The rain is starting to get cold." That was surprisingly the truth, even for him, he did get cold. Malik seemed to be debating the situation until Rekhi kissed the other on the earlobe, licking around it to make Malik snap and start leading the other off, Rekhi's body half hanging over the other's form.

************

__

"Would you stop looking at me like that?" Shinkou glared at the priest who was watching him like a hawk. They had made it to the palace with ease, surprisingly, and now Shinkou felt completely trapped, sitting on the floor of one of the main chambers once you enter the palace. Seth circled around him, arms crossed before he stopped moving to talk.

"You look familiar."

"I've been here a few times when I was younger."

"Thief?"

"Pharaoh's cousin."

"Shinkou…" Seth's eyes widened for a brief moment as he thought of remembering a rather young prince (Yami) trying to get his brunette cousin to play with him. Seth remembered watching the two a bit before going off to train more to be a priest. It was odd, the other always tried to keep away from everyone.

"So you remember me it seems…" Shinkou murmured, crossing his arms as he rose a brow to the other. 

"And you have no idea where the Pharaoh is?"

Shinkou shifted slightly, but shook his head. "No, I'm afraid the one controlling Osiris might though. If he gets to my cousin, he won't have a chance." Though in all honesty, he didn't believe that Bakura would go after Yami.

"Psh, the Pharaoh can handle himself."

He stared up at the priest, shaking his head and looking back to the ground. "But what if the Pharaoh is already injured?"

Seth rose a brow down at the other before starting towards the door, looking back at the other. 

"Do you have a monster?"

Shinkou nodded and stood. "Then let's go," the priest finished, moving outside in enough time to catch a glimpse of his dragon further out and his eyes widened. Osiris was sending waves of lightning out at any monsters trying to oppose him. Seth caught sight of an Emerald Dragon, knowing with slight relief that it meant one of the High Priestesses were out there in the battle - but his Blue Eyes and the Emerald Dragon were obliterated. 

"Um….look…..I can just control a Red Eyes…..and if the White Dragon was destroyed…..my dragon won't stand a chance - its already weakened from the **first **time it was destroyed by Osiris…"

"We'll fuse them."

"What?" Shinkou blinked.

"Powers of two high powers of magic - myself and the priestess, with your Black Dragon we can fuse three monsters."

"I didn't think that was possible…"

Seth smirked, _"We'll find out." _

Shinkou faltered as the other was already in the streets and started to chase after the priest with a bit of a stumble. "You mean you don't know if it will even work!?"

"It's not something I do everyday. But it's better than watching the city destroyed, na?"

"Teme! You have no idea what you're even doing!" 

"Neither do you."

************

Mariku glanced up after he moved back onto the couch with Yami, the door opened and he saw his hikari enter. Yami tensed against him and now the blonde realized as well - Rekhi had entered. But all they could figure was it was the Bakura that they knew.

"What's he doing here?" Mariku's eyes fixated to the silver haired, voice deep and cold.

"Jeez, yami, that's just cold," Malik rolled his eyes, closing the door and looking at Rekhi. "He's just visiting."

__

Must not kill yet…. Rekhi forced a smile. "I wanted to see how you were doing, Yami." 

"I'm fine," Yami muttered, hands unconsciously holding to Mariku's arm tighter.

Rekhi saw this and forced himself to hide his smirk. This was just _perfect_, the Pharaoh was right here! And with the other as well…figures. And the brunette…all together again….such a lovely reunion. 

"What happened to Shinkou?"

Mariku looked from Rekhi to the unconscious Shinkou and shook his head. "I'm not sure, I think he's reliving mentally a lot of things from Egypt…"

__

I wonder what sort of things? Rekhi smirked again and moved over to the chair, laying a hand on the brunette's cheek and stroked softly at it. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Hope so…" Yami whispered, feeling uneasy with the others here.

Mariku wrapped his arms around the other and pulled him close, leaning his head down by the other's ear to whisper, "I told you before, I won't let him hurt you."

"Why does _everyone _think I'm going to hurt Yami?" Rekhi gave a frustrated sigh, crossing his arms and looking at the two. He was getting good at pulling off Bakura's emotions..

"Because you have before," Mariku glared darkly at the other and Rekhi shook his head. 

"But I don't even remember the past! How can you just hold that against me?!"

"Calm down…" Malik whispered, putting a hand on the other's arm. "Just let them do whatever and don't bother with them. It's not worth it…" 

Rekhi snorted and glanced at Malik. He wouldn't hurt this one - everyone else he will do as he pleases with, but not this one… He wasn't sure why, but Malik would be the only one alive when he got through with this place. "Please….come on, let's just go…."

"Listen to him, Bakura," Mariku snapped, holding Yami a bit tighter. The russet eyes of the other - they seemed unreal almost…._But why…? What's different…? _

"You didn't answer my question," Rekhi muttered, moving away from Malik and closer to the other two. "I want an answer. Why are you holding my past against me?!"

"I don't trust you," Mariku whispered, looking down at Yami who seemed very shaken all of a sudden. Mariku glared up at Rekhi, this was his doing for Yami's fear. "Just leave, I don't want you here. You aren't helping anyone by staying."

The other's smirk finally became evident as he laid his pale palms against the coffee table, leaning in towards Mariku's face. "But what now….if I really don't want to help anyone? What will you do then, if I don't leave?"

"What are you trying to pull, Bakura?" Mariku growled, about to slap the other's face to get him away - but his hand was caught in a tight hand. He stared at Rekhi, eyes wide. "What do you want!?"

"Oh, nothing really," Rekhi smirked, releasing the hand and sitting on the floor, patting a spot besides him for Malik to join him. The hikari complied and sat down, seeming a bit uneasy by all this now as if he were caught up in everything. Something wasn't feeling right, but like everyone else - he didn't know what was wrong with the situation. "All I want, is to play some games with my pet." 

The smirk intensified, and everyone in the room aside from Shinkou stared at him. 

"Will that be a problem with any of you?"

************

Heh…..odd ending, I know. I wanted the conversation to go a little differently, but right when I got to it, I kind of forgot what I was typing XD I'm happy though, I forgot how events were going to play out in the past and I remembered ^^ The new pairing(s) I have are Dorobou (I think that means thief XD) Bakura/Malik aka Rekhi/Malik. And **very **light Shinkou/Seth, heh this is going to get fun….I'll get back to other characters the next chapter XD I meant to do more with Ryou and such and kind of….didn't .;; Gomen nasai on that. I'll fill in blanks with them as a narrative perspective or something…

Ahh….didn't edit this, had to get it up right when I finished because my dad needed my computer. Now to work on Itsumademo Naito next….I guess .;;;


	7. Confusion Rises Again

Ahah….um….*sweat drops* Anyway….. *coughs and runs*

Some notes….: I'm using Isis's **English dubbed name **as her name in Egypt, in the present she is still known as Isis. Yeah, ok, so there really are two stories going on at once here if your haven't figured that out yet - the one of the past and the one of the present. I've finally fit it the stupid school thing I made up awhile ago and am giving Ryou a bit of spotlight, heh, um… Did I mention about chaseshipping being in this? I know I had Honda and Otogi with a minor hint of it or something in one chapter…hell, I'm getting confused. So yeah, chaseshipping (Honda/Otogi) in this, more noticeable in this chapter and also…..I **might **be having Tendershipping (Ryou/Bakura). Sort of. Donno yet. 'Kura ain't feeling too well.

You're all going to hurt me. Or Rekhi. But he's already on Todo's menu. Well, maybe you won't hurt me. Whatever.

(Gomen, didn't edit the chapter….I was lazy at midnight….)

"Will you quit agreeing with me?! I want to argue!" -Reba: _Reba_

************

__

No one here but me. Ryou's eyes traveled around the classroom, Geometry to be exact. This was one of the only classes he had with a lot of his friends - and yet - first day back to school after Yami and Bakura's "little" prank, and no one is here. All the kids he hardly talked to though, were of course, all around.

__

Seto already told me he wasn't coming today…thus Jounouchi isn't coming…. He glanced around the room a bit more. _I have no idea why Yuugi isn't here, no surprise that Shinkou is out…Malik….dammit, where **is **Malik…? _He gave a sigh, shaking his head and leaning back - ignoring the teacher as he continued to think. _Sure I saw Honda and Otogi, not in this class, but wherever they were going sure wasn't to their class…_

He ignored the mumbles of his teacher from the front of the room, not caring about the lesson as he started to fidget with the Sennen Ring. _Bakura… _He shook his head with a defeated sigh. He had gone home the night before to find his dark half partially on the couch, but more on the floor. The yami seemed hardly in one piece, and Ryou even had to take the other to the hospital - hoping they could do something. But all Bakura seemed able to do was lay there. Ryou was planning to find Yami and Mariku after school and tell them where the other was.

Maybe he should have just skipped school like everyone else.

************

__

"H-Hey! What are you doing?! Let go of my arm dammit!" Shinkou hissed, pulling away from Seth who was more than dragging him. 

"Will you stop being so damn slow?" Seth sighed, rolling his eyes with annoyance. They got to the site, but looked around to see no sign of Osiris at all. His eyes widened and he ran over to the High Priestess and the other's around her, all trying to stand it seemed. The area itself was a wreck, buildings crumpled and other simple people of the city injured. "Shit…" he shook his head, helping the woman stand and she looked up at him wearily. "What happened, Reia?"

She started shaking her head, pulling off to walk on her own a bit before facing him, hair grazing almost to her ankles, light jade eyes shaken. "We managed to make it to Osiris, but he easily took us down - I shouldn't have been as shocked as I was. Seth, we need to find the oracle, she's the only one who will know what to do now as we have no idea where the Pharaoh is."

Seth gave a nod, about to speak when Shinkou's voice cut in, "I, um, hate to break up your little discussion, but Osiris is back…." Shinkou shifted a bit, watching the others getting ready to defend the city, even though they were beaten not too long ago. He had expected to see that they were all guards, but with a second glance it suddenly hit him that they were wearing light indigo robes signaling that they were normal ranked priests. "So….now what….?"

The High Priest immediately took charge, snapping out at two of the other priests for one to find the oracle, and the other to find the Pharaoh. "Everyone else," which was about three others including Shinkou and Reia, making five in total, "Reia and Shinkou summon your monsters, the remaining here keep you magic at a stable level and keep the area safe!"

No sense in arguing, _was Shinkou's only train of thought as he held out his arms, a pale salmon toned aura forming around them. "Red-Eyes, come forth!"_

Near him, the same situation was occurring with the High Priestess Reia summoning her Emerald Dragon. Seth smirked, looking over at the two, calling out the Blue-Eyes and eying all three dragons together. They were all weak. Hardly holding on, after all, each one was defeated by Osiris, and at the moment the Red-Eyes Black Dragon was the strongest because it had more recovery time.

"Reia, we're going to do a fusion spell."

The woman looked over at Seth as if he were insane. The High Priest looked incredibly calm, which was surprising with how Osiris was trying to break down a shield held up by three other priests. 

"Oh, and what do you propose we fuse **with**?!" She glared as he shrugged.

"Listen up, Reia, we are going to fuse all three dragons and stay alive, understand me?" Seth nearly growled as he walked up to her, eyes narrowed.

"It's never going to work!"

"I don't care! That shield is going to break down soon enough and then we'll be killed!"

"So you want to waste all your energy fusing the monsters?!"

"Yes!"

"You're insane!"

"Good!"

"Will you s-"

"HEY!" Shinkou snapped out, getting pissed at the two arguing before him and they both stared over in his direction. "Can we just get this **over **with?"

************

"What….did you just say….?" Mariku stared at the other blankly, unconsciously holding Yami closer to him as he could only watch the other. The presence was familiar….a bit _too _familiar if anyone asked him. He was lucky no one did, they were all lost by Rekhi's words.

Rekhi gave a false pout as he looked up at Mariku. "I said I just want to play with my pet." He leaned forward again, moving with ease from a sitting position to being on his knees, a hand suddenly pressed against Yami's face. "Don't you miss me, Pharaoh? I assure you I missed every bit of your blood…" He smirked at the horrified look on the other's face and felt Mariku shift, forcing him away from Yami. 

"**_Get out of here, NOW BAKURA!!_**"

"I don't want to," he started to laugh, standing up fully as the ring flickered over with a glow. "I want to stay and get a present."

"_Excuse _me…?" Mariku hissed, standing in front of Yami who remained on the couch. "You'll leave here willingly or I'll force you out!"

"I'd like to see you try."

The Sennen Rod was out in seconds, held towards Rekhi, who started to laugh again and looked towards Malik. "Isn't this amusing? Have you ever seen your dark half so pissed off? Probably, but he's just so cute when he is…reminds me so much of the past…probably had the same look on his face when he opened the Shadow Realm in the past…" Rekhi gave a chuckle, slipping forward so he was up against Mariku's body, pushing the arm aside that had the rod somewhere in grasp. "Do you remember that? It's all your fault," he snickered, licking at the other's lips.

"You said you don't remember the past."

"Oh, the pathetic version of myself in this world today doesn't, but I am the true form of the past to finish what I started a Millennia ago," he started to nip at the other's lips when Mariku composed himself and shoved Rekhi back, who would have hit the floor if Malik hadn't helped him. 

"You're….from the past….?" Yami finally spoke, eyes widening at the new realization as the thief nodded happily. _It can't be possible…_

"Malik, are you willing to help me?" Rekhi looked over at the other sweetly with a smile.

"Um…sure…"

"MALIK!"

"Gomen, yami," Malik shook his head to his dark half before looking to Rekhi again.

"How helpful, so if you don't mind giving me your rod," he took the item as it was handed to him, spinning it around for a moment and pointing it towards Yami. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way, Pharaoh. Hand over the God of Osiris card."

************

Ryou ran out of the school building as quick as he could, only being stopped when he heard Honda's voice and he pivoted around to face the other and Otogi who were leaning together against a tree. "What's with the rush, Ryou?"

"I have to get to the hospital."

Otogi pulled out of Honda's arms and moved towards the other with worry, "Why? What's wrong?"

"I had to bring my yami there last night, I want to see if he's doing any better," Ryou started to fidget, looking down the road and then back to Otogi. "I really need to get going."

"So you plan to run the whole way?" Honda rose a brow to the other and looked to his boyfriend.

"Well…"

"Aw, no sweat Ryou, I can drive you there," Otogi pulled out a set of keys, twirling them around lightly. "Come on, it's really no problem."

"…Really?" Ryou's eyes widened happily - he'd get there much quicker by car than he would running! And then he could save his energy.

"Yeah, we'll gladly help a friend in need," Honda exclaimed proudly, moving up besides Otogi and draping an arm around the other's shoulders. "Leave it to us to get you there in minutes - unless you want to practice for the track team or something."

"Hell no!" Ryou was horrified by the thought, causing the other two a brief chuckle before following them to the parking lot quickly.

************

"Thanks for taking me you guys.." Ryou muttered, shuffling a bit as he headed to his darker half's room with the other two behind him.

"As I said, it's no problem, Ryou," Otogi gave a smile, watching the other stop by a closed door and jumped back when it opened, a doctor coming out. Otogi was going to step forward, but Honda shook his head to stay back, pulling his boyfriend away. 

"H-How's he doing…?"

"He still has no sign of waking up…I'm sorry, we are trying as much as we can though."

Ryou gave a small, disappointed nod. "Can I go in and see him?"

"Of course, go ahead, I'll be waiting outside if you need me," he watched the boy smile a bit and enter when Honda and Otogi tried to follow. The doctor closed the door before they could get in with a sigh. "I'm sorry, family only."

************

"Bakura…." Ryou stared at his other half, a pained expression on his face, taking a seat besides the other's bed. "I'll make sure to tell Yami for you…I don't know how he'll react - even if he doesn't care, you know I will at least…I always have…please wake up…" He set a hand on the blanket covering the other, pulling it up a bit so it was more around Bakura's neck and forced a smile.

"I tried asking Otogi and Honda if they knew what was going on….and I also tried Seto…and Jou…but no one knows…I'll ask everyone if I have to, I promise you I'll figure it out…" he gave a sigh, resting his hand fully against the blanket and blinking back a moment. "Hey…wait…"

He stood quickly, the chair almost falling back as he pulled down the blanket, looking at the other's shirt and jacket in shock. "Where's the ring?!" The boy's eyes widened even more severely and he looked around the room, hoping to see something, but had no luck, his feet taking him to the door and he opened it to face the doctor.

"Is something wrong?"

"Did you take anything that looks like this from the other?" he signaled to the Sennen Ring over his neck.

"No, I don't believe we did."

Ryou's eyes fell back to his yami, suddenly trying to get into the other's soul room or even just connect with the other as he closed his eyes - but failed to get anywhere near the other, panicking. "I…..I have to go!" In a sudden motion, not even saying anything to the two who helped him get here, he was fleeing down the hall. _What's happening, yami?! What's going on with you…_

************

Yami grasped his puzzle, glaring suddenly at Rekhi. "You aren't getting the card, I don't have it anyway."

"Oh, I know you do," Rekhi gave a smirk, the situation turning from being between him and Mariku, to being between him and Yami. "The card calls to me, I am it's true master and the world will see it once again."

"It's not here."

"DON'T LIE TO ME, PHARAOH!" Rekhi snapped, eyes darkening and both the Sennen Ring and Rod blazed with a golden glow. "I'll kill you for it if I must, don't judge me on my power!"

"I don't have the card," Yami repeated again, looking away.

"**_Fuck you_**…" Rekhi sneered and glared at Mariku with a quick uplift of a smirk, "Don't blame me for this, it's your lover's own fault."

"What are you talking about…?" Mariku started, himself and Malik seeming completely left out of what was going on at the moment. He looked back to Yami, having not noticed the Sennen Rod's spurt of energy. "Yami, come on, we're getting out of here." He received no response and rose a brow. "Yami…?"

"Fool," Rekhi chuckled, hugging the rod against his body. "He's mine again now."

"W-What…" Mariku eyed the rod and then looked to Yami, finally noticing the blank orbs of the other and sat to the couch besides the other in fear, glaring back at Rekhi. "You can't control him! With his power, the rod should have no effect!"

"But he has a weak mind, I made sure of that in Egypt….therefore…he is under my complete control," he chuckled lightly, waving up a hand as he saw Mariku make a move for his own rod. "Oh, don't bother, you should know your little _copy _of the Sennen Rod you have is no match to the original…and I have the powers of the ring working for me as well…so don't waste your time." He smirked at the look of hatred on Mariku's face and set his eyes upon the blank seated Yami. "Now my little pet….hand over the card, _now_."

Mariku's eyes traveled wearily from Bakura to watch Yami's hand dip into a pocket and he suddenly jumped atop the other, arms embracing Yami to keep the other from taking out the card. 

"Come on, Yami, snap out of it - break the spell, dammit, you have to!"

"Malik, would you please get your _dear yami _off him!!"

Malik looked between the two, than at the still unconscious Shinkou and bit his lip, moving over and started to try and drag his dark half from Yami. "Come on, yami, let him go…"

"Malik, hikari, if he gets that card in his hands - the world you see now will turn dark before your eyes _just _like it did in Egypt, and this time I haven't a fucking clue where you sister is to find a way out of this!" Mariku snapped forcefully, glaring darkly at Malik and returning to hold the mind-slave-Yami down. 

Malik froze a moment and stopped trying to get his yami off the other and suddenly snapped back. "What the hell does my sister have anything to do with this?!"

"You idiot! She has everything to do with this!" Mariku growled in return, feeling the energy Rekhi was wielding start to become stronger over Yami and he gasped, falling in pain to the ground as the rod hit forcefully against his head and he groaned, feeling his wound and watching a flash off a card come out of Yami's pocket. "No! Yami, **STOP**!!"

************

__

Mariku supported the young Pharaoh in a chair at the table, wrapping the last of wounds the other had. He had gotten a bad on around his chest somehow, then again, it was probably an older one that had opened. He shook his head, holding his silence as it seemed Yami was rather embarrassed to have his shirt off. But no matter, Mariku quickly helped the other get it back on after tying off the bandage. "There, that's all of them."

"Arigatou.." Yami murmured, head low a bit. He so much wanted to leave this house….see what was going outside to his country. It was his. Not Bakura's…it could never be the other's, no matter how hard the thief tried.

There was a soft knock on the door and Mariku moved to it, hoping it was Shinkou returning, but was surprised when he opened it to see a white-robed woman. "Um….can I help you…?" He blinked, backing away slightly and eying Yami, letting the woman step in and noticed the sudden light fill Yami's eyes.

"Ishizu!" Yami tried to stand, but failed a bit and sat back into the chair as he stared to the other. 

"You know her, Yami?" 

"Hai."

"Hello, Pharaoh, Mariku, I knew I would find both of you here."

Mariku blinked in surprise. "How do you know my name…?" She only smiled at him, fingering a necklace around her neck before turning to walk to Yami. Mariku followed in confusion after closing the door.

"Ishizu…what are you doing here…?" Yami stared up at the woman oddly.

"Some of the priests under Seth's command are looking for you and myself. I decided to find you first instead."

"Seth? Is he ok? How is everyone?"

"The High Priest tried to fuse his own monster and two others - that of High Priestess Reia and your cousin, Shinkou. They failed to do so, but they are still alive."

"Why didn't you help them?!" Yami snapped out, finally finding the strength to stand.

"I am a mere oracle, my Pharaoh, I could not have helped them in that moment. I have taken the last two days to research a counter spell to the Thief Bakura and the opening of the Realm of Shadows. Even something that will stop the great Saint Dragon Osiris." Her voice was neutral as she watched the other's reaction and could feel Mariku's shocked gaze on her back. "But it is a very difficult spell."

"Tell me what it is, Ishizu. What must I do to stop this…?" He looked to Mariku who walked up besides him and they both watched the oracle who had unexpectedly dropped her gaze to watch the ground contently before returning the depressed eyes to them.

"It requires the use of the seven items that can channel the dark powers. As well as three souls that can wield the power…"

"Mariku and myself can be two of those souls…Bakura can be the third if we can get Osiris away from his control, I suppose…" Yami mused quietly, looking away in worry. He could see the severe sadness in the oracle's eyes. "But what is it we must do with all of these things…?"

"We can seal opening to the Realm of the Shadows by using the seven items…with the price of locking the three souls each into a different item…" 

Mariku's eyes widened and he suddenly spoke out after listening the entire time, "You can't be serious…? We have to be locked away into some….some item _to stop all this…?"_

"Yes…that is exactly what I'm saying. My Pharaoh, this is the only way to stop the thief's reign he is causing to darken our city. Please take it into consideration, I must now go and try to assist your cousin and the two head guards of the thrown. Seth and Reia and the ones serving them will not be able to hold off Osiris much longer, especially with no monsters to protect them."

"I'm coming with you!" Yami started to follow the oracle who turned away, but Mariku held him back and Ishizu gave them a brief look.

"You will not," she whispered, "you will come to the palace when you have reached an answer. I will be waiting there after I retrieve the other three. My Pharaoh, Mariku, I shall see you both soon." 

She was out the door with ease, leaving the two in an off-minded state.

************

The mind-control snapped seconds too late and Yami glanced around with a blurred gaze, trying to figure out what happened and stood off the couch with a stumble, looking around with confusion. _Where is everyone? _He stepped forward, tripping on something and caught himself before he fully fell. 

Crimson eyes gazed to the chair where Shinkou…..should have been. But it was empty. _Maybe he woke up… _He shook his head with a sigh, reaching a pale hand to rub his temples lightly and glanced to what he tripped on and all color fell from his face in horror. "M-Mariku…" 

A body lay on the ground by the couch, blood pooling beneath it as Yami helped the body up, checking for a pulse and was at least relieved by that to feel one. There were no lavender eyes to look up at him so he could see those pools and feel that everything would be fine. Instead the eyes were closed, blonde hair stained a bit with the blood and loosely hung arms were gashed at. 

Without a doubt, even with the blood, it was Mariku. 

"W-What happened…." Yami tried to think, but failed gravely and called through the apartment. "Shinkou?! Shinkou, are you here?!" Yami looked down, feeling the body he held stir and watched the pale lips of the other move only a tad bit, the voice he heard hardly even audible.

"………They took him…………M-Malik and the other…….took him…….and…..they have the card………t-they have Osiris…."

Yami's eyes widened and he embrace the other, tears filling over the crimson orbs in a clouded sense. "Mariku…w-what did they do t-to you…" 

He received a seemingly forced smile, probably just to assure him. But only the eyes of the other could assure him, and that didn't seem to be happening soon. They remained closed and Yami felt his heart clench with pain at the sight of the other hurt so badly. 

"Don't worry….I'm fine….really……"

"N-No you're not…."

"Sshh….it'll be ok…" Mariku reached up a shaking hand, eyes opening to slits as he gazed up at the other, the hand resting against Yami's face, tears rolling from the crimson eyes and touching against Mariku's bloodied hand. "Please….don't cry….I promise, I'm fine…" Yami shook his head in response and Mariku was about to say more when the door flew open and they both turned their attention to it.

The form stood breathing in the doorway, sweat over a pale face and silvery, innocent strands of hair trailing down his back. "I need to find the Sennen Ring for my…….yami…." the voice trailed off, the form stepping into the room more as he looked at the sight of Yami holding a bloodied Mariku. "What…happened…."

Yami's eyes narrowed at the other, snapping a bit at Bakura's hikari. "Your damn Yami has the ring, what are you talking about?!"

"He does not! He's been the hospital for a day and a half now!"

Yami growled in return, making sure he wasn't harming Mariku before voicing out again. "Oh really? Then how do you propose he came here with Malik and nearly killed Mariku?!"

"I propose that it must not have been my yami because he's laying unconscious in a hospital bed!" Ryou snapped back, his mood very anxious for himself and a bit on the snappish side.

"It couldn't have been anyway else!"

"It had to of b-"

"Stop yelling…" Mariku cut in, his eyes slipping shut again. The two looked at the other and Yami panicked, quickly heaving Mariku up and moving passed Ryou towards the door. 

"You can prove your other is in the hospital after I get _him _to the hospital!" he grunted, eyes looking to Mariku to signal who he was talking about. He saw Ryou give a slow nod and moved to help.

Ryou took a chance to look Yami in the eyes, watching the fear and sadness mixed within them, yet Yami was trying so hard to stay strong. "I'm going to call an ambulance," the silver-haired boy spoke at once, moving to the phone and dialing 911. "But I am telling you, I'm not lying." He waiting for the call to get through.

Yami's eyes hardened as he watched Ryou, but relaxed himself as he looked down at Mariku. _This is all my fault…again it's my fault…like always…and Shinkou was taken….you're injured…everyone involved around me are always hurt…_He clenched his eyes shut, ignoring the sound of the other talking on the phone and it clicking back to where it belong.

Even ignoring the sound of sirens not long after.

************

Yami was told to stay out of the way as doctors and nurses rushed the blonde yami away on a stretcher, he stared after it like some lost fool. _I won't let you get hurt anymore…_ Yami gave a sigh, staring from the ground to Ryou's back. The other had been leading him down a hallway to a different room and finally stopped, a doctor who had spoken with Ryou earlier in the day greeting them.

"Any change…?" Ryou whispered.

"No, I'm afraid not. But the bright side is that nothing has gotten worse."

"I see…" Ryou sighed, looking down a bit.

"Oh, your two friends that were here said that they had to leave, but to tell you if you came back that they wish your brother in their the best of luck."

"Thank you…" Ryou murmured, and returned his eyes to the doctor. "I would like to see him again, and bring someone in with me," the doctor started to protest - but Ryou spoke up before he could, "I know it's only family, but it's very important."

"Alright…maybe more company can help the spirits of the other…" the doctor sighed, opening the door for them and closing it behind the two. "…It's not like the kind of thing happens everyday anyway…" He gave a brief sigh again, eying the files in a folder on the door and took it. Maybe he could run over them a few more times to see if he could do anything.

************

"See…?" Ryou looked to Yami, moving to the bed and brushing a hand over the patient's forehead. "I told you I wasn't lying."

"It……it can't be….." Yami could only stare at Bakura in bed, moving forward a bit to look over the body. "It's not possible though….I know it was Bakura who came today….but no….wait…."  


"What is it?"

Yami turned his eyes up to Ryou. "When he came, he had said some things that didn't make sense. He said he was from the past….that his 'version of himself in the world today' was pathetic…" Yami held his head in his hands in confusion.

"So you're saying that there are two Bakuras…?"

"…….I don't know…" Yami nearly whimpered. He slowly started backing for the door, shaking his head in the process as he looked at the hikari and yami. "Ryou….do something for me, ok…?"

"Sure…what is it..?"

"Tell….." he paused, closing his eyes, hand falling over the doorknob. _Everyone is getting hurt because of me…I can't let it keep happening…I can't let Ryou get involved either…_ "T-Tell Mariku when he's allowed visitors that I'm sorry…I just don't want him to get hurt again…"

Ryou blinked softly, stepping away from the bed slowly with confusion. "What do you mean…? Where are you going, Yami…?"

"Nowhere," he spoke quickly, shaking his head, "don't worry…everything is fine. Just tell him, ok?"

"Yami, you're hiding something fr-"

"Ryou!" Yami snapped quickly, opening the door. "Just….do this, ok? Ok? Onegai, it's all I ask."

"I…" Ryou bit his lip, stepping forward again, but stopped to give a weary nod.

"Arigatou," Yami forced a smile over his features and moved out the door to leave Ryou. He silently strode through the halls, down a set of stairs and out the main doors of the building, tears in his eyes as he refused to look back. "I'm sorry…..I'm sorry…." _Please don't be mad at me, Mariku…I….I can't let anyone try to help me now…it's all up to me… _"But I can't even do anything…I couldn't even fend the control of the stupid rod…" The tears started down his face as he continued walking. 

__

B-But I have to….this is like the eye of the storm now….this is my only chance to do anything…..

************

"So what are you going to do now that you have the card…?"

"I'm going to wait…" there was a smirk crossing pale features, dark russet-red eyes looking to a distant corner of a dimly lit, abandoned tavern where a body lay unmoving. 

"Wait..?" lavender eyes blinked in surprise as the owner of the gaze sat at the table across from the other.

"Yes….wait."

"For….what, may I ask…?"

"My pet shall be here shortly, I believe. So I will wait for him. And then I can play with him some more…"

************

::Dances.:: That came out more complex than I thought it was going to be! ^^ ::Dances more.:: How many people want me dead right now? Come on, raise your hands! How can anyone _not _want me dead? Rekhi has the card of Osiris, Mariku is in the hospital, Rekhi has the still unconscious Shinkou, Bakura is in the hospital, and Yami is LEAVING without anyone. Idiot. He's so stupid. 

I'll try to update soon…I want to work on Can't Stop Loving You (Darkshipping and brozeshipping) and also try to draw Bakura as a pirate. Hehe, saw Pirates of the Caribbean for the third time ^^ 

I _know _this is probably getting more confusing. I like Ishizu ^^ Somehow I'll get Isis back into this….I think I have a pretty good way….heh….because she _was _in the story earlier, after all. Eheh…

Ja ne all ^^ 


	8. Distributed Energies

::Backs away.:: Aww….come on, put away those pitchforks…. ::Stuck in corner.:: Really now, you want the authoress alive! And I still need Rekhi too (as horrible as he is)! He really is a pathetic muse outside of the story - REALLY! ::Ducks from flying projectiles towards her head.:: **Yoh**! Come help me!! ::Hides behind the shaman.:: Protect me! **Clef**!!! ::floats between the two.::

Yeah…anyway…now that I have my guards, I actually have four at the moment and you wouldn't want to mess with any of them, trust me. 

Um, another added pairing: Puppyshipping (Jou/Seto). Heh, I got Isis into this again. Her, Seto, and Jou. 

"Life sucks." -Daria: _Daria_

************

"You're awake," Ryou gave a smile as he was allowed to step into Mariku's room at last. The doctors said that he had been rather bruised, but it seemed Mariku had a decent enough will to heal soon enough. Ryou stepped further into the room up besides the other's bed, looking down into the other's blurred over eyes and sighed. "They said you got here at a good time - if it had been any longer, your life would have been risked. You lost a lot of blood."

"What good news," Mariku murmured groggily, trying to talk through the drugs.

"You're also lucky that there was a blood donor, so you don't have to worry about dying."

"….Gee…I was worrying so much…." he nearly spat back, rolling onto his side to look over at Ryou, his eyes quickly trying to focus as they searched around a bit. 

Ryou bit his lip, he knew what the other was looking for and when the dark lavender gaze stopped back on him, penetrating him to get an answer, Ryou finally spoke out again. "I don't know where Yami went."

"_What_ did you say…?" Mariku mouthed in return, a glare beginning to form.

Ryou gulped, but nevertheless explained, "He told me to tell you that he was sorry, and that he just didn't want you to get hurt again, then he started to leave. I couldn't get him to tell me where he was going and he just le-"

"Bullshit," Mariku suddenly snapped, trying to sit up, but Ryou pushed him back down. "Let me go! I have to go after him before he does something stupid!"

"Is he really that capable to do something so 'stupid'…?"

"_Yes_."

************

__

Mariku watched Yami carefully, the Pharaoh having been slowly pacing with a slight limp. He was healing though, that was the good thing of part of the situation. But decisions needed to be made, and even with both of them knowing what should happen - Yami was afraid and even at this point, so was Mariku. 

"Wh-"

"We have to go to the palace," Yami cut in before anything was said. Mariku gave a sigh, causing the pharaoh to look over at him worriedly. "What is it…?" Mariku shook his head and Yami moved over to the other, looking up at him. "You don't want to do this either….do you…?" The answer was obvious as their gazes fully locked.

Mariku lowered his head a bit, leaning against the table. "No, I don't. Sure I know we have to, but that's not nearly the point…" he gave a sigh, shaking his head. It never failed - an Egyptian simply wasn't allowed to have a "normal" life. 

Yami held out his hand and wrapped it into one of Mariku's, leaning his head forward and against the other's chest, eyes closed tightly as he took a shaky breath. "I'm scared, Mariku, I really am. How does she think that I have enough power to do this…?"

The taller form gripped back at the other's hand and pulled it up to kiss it lightly before taking his free hand and using it to lift Yami's head to see into the soft eyes. "Because you do have the power, Yami."

************

Yami blindly walked down the street, eyes glazed over as he collapsed against someone's fence, staring up into the sky that was clouded over. "I have to find them…can't let them summon Osiris…not again…" He shuddered a bit, a plipping of rain falling against his face and he tore his face from the sight of the sky. "I'm not weak…I can beat him on my own…" Yami pushed himself forward and continued down the street, trying to keep full aware so he could go about sensing for dark magic. But it felt so hopeless…

…He needed more power.

He knew it. Everyone knew it. He always needed power, because he was always struggling even back in the days of Duelist Kingdom. He struggled for some control then, and in Battle City he was always one to push forward to win. But never was he alone.

There was always help by him.

Some would think he didn't need it, other's knew. They were his enemies. They always found his weakness. His stupid, _stupid_, weaknesses! Yami bent over and quickly swiped up a rock from the side and threw it with such anger in himself, hearing a crash off to his left and he froze. 

| You shouldn't go out in this weather. It's going to pour. |

Yami spun around, body chilled suddenly and glanced all about him. Voices. Not again. This happened before, namely when he was unlocked for the first time from the puzzle. But back then, it was his loyal monster - the Dark Magician that he always heard. This wasn't him, this for one was a femme voice. "Who's there?!" Yami snapped out, desperate for an answer.

| Do you want an umbrella? I know where you can get one. |

It was almost like a child calling to him and he began to follow the voice, or where he thought it was. He crossed over the road to the other side and looked around into an alleyway, slowly stepping into it and hearing something shatter behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, body shaking, breaths ragged. 

| Don't be afraid. I can help you, just trust me. |

"No, I can't," Yami spoke quickly, fully pivoting around and he tried walking out the alley, only to full back as a surge of power hit through his body - crashing through his veins as he stumbled. "W-What the hell…?"

| I told you that you cannot be afraid. But I see that you are, so I summoned help and had a wall put up. You cannot leave now. |

The voice was still soft, scary with its gentle tones. Yami gathered his form up and hesitantly touched the "wall" again lightly, pulling back when he started to feel the immense energy. _Well, I guess I'm stuck this way now_. Yami gave a light sigh and started moving down the alley in a steady pace, gazing around as he did so and jumping slightly at the sound of the childlike voice again.

| I feel like I'm playing hide and seek. | 

Yami could almost feel the girl smile. There were twists and turns here and there which Yami navigated through by intuition, stopping almost immediately when he walked into an open area, buildings surrounding a square lot where rising from the ruins of what looked to be a warehouse was a decently sized building. Perhaps it could even be called a house.

But this wasn't what surprised him.

It was the so called girl that smiled to him.

"Y-You're…"

************

"I don't see why I've been dragged here. Again," a voice scowled, arms crossed proudly over his chest in agitation. "Can't you just leave me out of your fortune cookie shit and let me keep on with my life as it should be?"

A woman crossed the room to meet with her very rude "guest" and eyed him carefully. "Seto Kaiba, you are the High Priest of Ancient Egypt - you _are _Seth, don't try to deny it any longer."

"I have right to deny it all I want!" Seto snapped in frustration, glaring darkly at the woman who turned to the ancient tablets that he had seen once before. He had been urgently called down to the museum by Isis Ishtar not long after he had gotten home from working at Kaiba Corp and now he couldn't remember why he bothered even coming. And besides that, where was Jou? He called the other from the limo to come down as well. He needed the mutt's absurd comments to keep him from going insane.

Isis's eyes narrowed dangerously when she looked back at him, then returned her gaze to look upon the tablets, just as Jounouchi stumbled down the stairs. "I'm here! Gomen nasai, Seto-kun, I decided to-"

"Hello, Katsuya, did you enjoy walking into a telephone pole to delay you?" Isis, who was obviously in a bad mood, glanced behind to the blonde who stopped in his tracks with a blush. Isis looked bored to him. 

"….You ran into a pole…?" Seto eyed the other slowly.

Jou's face twisted to glare at Isis while moving up besides Seto. "Damn you and that thing on your neck…" he spat before folding his arms. Seto rose a brow at the blonde before they both noticed the look Isis had on her face. "Um…"

"You, Katsuya Jounouchi, have no reason to be here. But I will allow you to stay, though this is not the time for foolishness," she shook her head and walked to a table, a rectangular box sitting atop it, encasing something in glass. "Come over here, Seth."

"_Stop calling me that_," Seto gritted through his teeth, but nevertheless stepped up besides Isis with Jou close by. He didn't understand what was so important, there were about twenty separated pieces of a miniature tablet within, but he couldn't decipher them with the pieces being so scattered.

Isis opened the glass slowly, running her hand over the pieces, fingertips organizing the pieces, though there were many spaces of lost pieces. "There are too many memories lost. If I had more of this tablet, I could restore the mind of Seth to you, but I cannot. And yet you need your magic, because soon your God Card that you possess will be hunted for."

"Again? That's nothing new to me. Everyone always wants this card," he pulled Obelisk from his pocket, waving the card in a single hand like it was no big deal when Isis turned to him and for once showed her angered side.

"The opposing side already has both the Sun Dragon Ra and the Saint Dragon Osiris at hand! We're just lucky that the monsters have not been summoned yet, which means the other side is waiting for something!"

Seto blinked, taking aback for a moment, "Yami doesn't have Osiris anymore? Well, figures he would lose it to someone else someday. Though I don't see what the big deal is, Isis, no one else could use Osiris' power anyway."

"You're wrong! If you had the memory of the past you would know that Rekhi Bakura can wield the power of the Saint Dragon flawlessly!" she snapped back, but her attention shifted to Jounouchi as the blonde scooted in front of the two and looked at the broken tablet, poking at some of the pieces.

"Hey…I've seen pieces like these in some psycho store downtown…"

"What?" Isis stared at the Katsuya boy and quickly grabbed him by the shoulders. "You must show me to this shop."

"Uh…ok…" Jou blinked and glanced to an obviously confused Seto. "Come on, let's go then…I guess…"

************

The form that lay before his eyes gave a soft smile, though half seemed more like a smirk. One angel wing and one demon, body cloaked in a split aura of holy and dark. The Change of Heart. 

"How…?"

She gave a smile and clasped her hands together, a soft heart image floating up above them. Yami wiped some of the water from the rain that had started from his face and stepped forward towards the girl, the heart suddenly snapping and vanishing - the smirk becoming more visible. | I expected you to be a bit more quicker. Then again, I suppose a pharaoh like yourself can be slow every so often. Come now, follow me. | 

As the girl turned and started walking towards the building hidden in rubble, Yami hadn't any clue of why he followed. He should of known better. He should of used his head. But no! He had to be an idiot and follow the girl - the card for Ra's sake! They cleared the entrance of the building and headed up a staircase, the area sounding completely dead. It was almost like the girl walking before him was a ghost.

| Here we are. | She turned her head playfully to him as she stopped by a door and tilted her head back towards it, the door almost heeding to her thoughts and opening. She stepped aside and allowed Yami to enter first, though a second later he wished he hadn't. 

It was like there was some sort of dark energy filling around the walls, and the room itself looked as if it were furnished only a few hours ago. His crimson gaze traveled forward, catching sight of a bed in one corner with a side table to one of its sides, another corner of the room was completely covered in shadows - though Yami swore something was hidden within them. What surprised him more was a couch pressed up against the wall across from him - where only Malik sat, tapping his fingers idly on an armrest. "About time you got here."

Yami took a step back, having not expecting to find the other - though he should have, he _should _have! Too late now…when he tried to go back, the Change of Heart was standing in his way. He jumped at a hiss, watching a cat scamper quickly into the room and jump up onto the couch to take a spot besides Malik. Silvery fur glistened to a golden shade as the body changed, the Sennen Ring glowering around the feline's neck until Rekhi's form was fully visible as a human again - arm laid over Malik's shoulders lazily. He gave a smirk, judging Yami's reaction. 

"Yes, it _is _about time you arrived. Thank you, Yuumei, for escorting him properly here."

| Of course, master. | The Change of Heart, or Yuumei as Rekhi referred to her, stepped out from behind Yami, moving over by the couch to be near her master, arms folded casually behind her back. 

"Though, I did not expect you to summon another one of my monsters without asking…"

| I'm sorry, master. But the Electric Lizard's power turned out to be usable for a wall - otherwise it would have taken longer to get…_him_ here. | She eyed Yami with a smirk, than looked back to Rekhi with a soft and pleasing smile. | And as an addition, the card's ability was able to stun him - without even knowing it! No worries of his spells. |

"T-That wall in the alley was created by the Electric Lizard…?" Yami stared at Yuumei in bewilder, backing up again to try and get out of the doorway, but immediately felt himself struck down with a shock surging over him once again, causing him to fall to his knees in pain. Shaking, he turned his head to a kind of "squeak" sound and clenched his eyes shut at the image. The Electric Lizard. Again for the second time that day it had unknowingly assaulted him.

"Yes, well, very nice job, Yuumei, if I do say so myself. But wouldn't you agree, Malik?" Rekhi rolled his head to the side, resting it on Malik's shoulder and looking up at the so called hikari with a grin, receiving a nod in response. "But now…I've run into a problem…" he gave a sigh, "what am I to do now that I have my pet back? Buy him a leash and tie him to a wall?"

"I don't think so," Malik shook his head and for a brief moment Yami felt relieved, until the blonde continued. "We tried that with his cousin, and that didn't work too well. I think the boy hurt himself more trying to get away from the electric tazers than actually being hit by them."

Yami felt his stomach drop at the comment and forced himself to stand, "Where's Shinkou?!"

"Oh? The rag?" Rekhi blinked absently as if it were no big deal and pointed to the shadowed corner. "He's over there, not too much fun to play with. But of course, _Pharaoh_, you've always been my prized toy."

Yami glared sharply at Rekhi before rushing for the corner, only to have Yuumei suddenly quickly before him, eyes sparkling. | I don't think so, you're not allowed near him. |

"Isn't the Change of Heart supposed to have a _light side_?! So far I've only seen the **dark**!" Yami snapped in agitation, only able to see a slight silhouette of his cousin in the corner, but that was all. And it was unmoving, meaning Shinkou was most likely unconscious. 

| You've played too many card games. Besides, I like the darkness better than the light. | She smirked and tossed her head to look over at Rekhi. | Master, this is boring, can't we just feed him to your bug…? |

"No! I want him alive," Rekhi snapped quickly, as if desperate for a moment before settling down again. "I want him to see his love's defeat. In fact, I want to kill everyone who's ever gotten in my way first. Nice, slow and painful deaths as Osiris and Ra show their true power to the world. That Ishizu…Isis nowadays….and Kaiba…." he growled a bit at the thought, clenching his fists and focusing on his own hatred to everyone. But he failed to feel Malik tense up, and Malik failed to make it known. He wanted to stay with Rekhi. The Egyptian seemed to understand him…unlike anyone else ever did….even if his sister and yami's lives were threatened.

************

__

"Come on, now's the best time to get out," Mariku murmured, glancing around the streets of the city slowly. "It doesn't look like much is happening right now."

"That worries me even more…" Yami whispered, keeping closely pressed by Mariku's back. "I hope Shinkou is ok….and everyone else for that matter…" he shook his head, feeling the other move forward and he continued along as well. "I know a shorter route to the palace."

"Alright, you lead then."

They switched their roles, Yami taking the lead and moving out into the open. "The Shadow Realm is open now, right?" he glanced back to Mariku who gave a nod with confusion. "So if I just summon something, we can get there quicker."

"…And also draw more attention to ourselves."

Yami sighed, silently agreeing with the other. Forcing a brighter look over his face when he felt the other's worried stare, Yami shook his head and slipped into the shady street way, glancing behind him and nevertheless pushing on. 

__

Mariku eyed their surroundings, constantly making sure no one was around them. He couldn't risk a mistake…

They managed to get to the steps of the palace, Yami pausing and glancing around. 

"Yami…?" Mariku looked back at the other. "Come on, what is it?"

"Something's not right…"

"Here, we made it. Let's get this over with…" Yami moved up the steps of the palace, only to be looking back down at Mariku who had yet to follow him up. "What's wrong?"

"The air's power changed…"

"Mariku, come on, don't…worry…" his voice trailed off as he froze when Osiris came into view, gliding over a building with none other than Bakura on his head. Yami tripped trying to back up, falling against the steps as he stared in horror.

"It's always good to listen to you, my precious dragon…" Bakura smirked, voicing out to the god. This was much more exciting than attacking those priests. 

"Get out of here!" Mariku hissed, moving in front of Yami in a quick second.

"I have all the right to be here," he paused and chuckled, "now to just kill you both."

Mariku's eyes went wide as one of the beast's jaws opened and he stood his ground nevertheless.

"You can kill me, but I won't allow you to kill him!" Mariku's voice filled the air as a golder gold filled around him.

************

Crimson eyes gazed sadly at a locked door. He closed them as a tear trickled down his cheek, edging more into the corner of a dark and nearly empty room. There was a bed, a table, and a window too small to be real. That was his only light source though. 

"Mariku…" Yami bit his lip, opening his eyes again and drawing in a ragged breath, hitching when the door faintly glowed a light white color and the Change of Heart slipped into the room. "What do _you _want?" Yami snapped out viciously, trying to put on a glare, but was failing to. 

"I thought you'd be hungry," she smiled to him, pulling her hands from behind her back and placing a bowl of rice on the floor, not getting too close to Yami. 

"I'm not," he growled out, narrowing his eyes at the monster that looked so innocent before him. "Leave me alone."

"And ruin my fun? I think not."

Yami growled at that and stood up, though almost fell again in the process. He was about to shout, but was completely cut off at the sound of Rekhi's voice, "YUUMEI! Get in here, **now**!" The card stared at him for a moment longer and then turned to leave. Yami sank back to the floor, staring at the food that was left and closed his eyes. _I can't take this anymore. _

************

"Master?" Yuumei entered the room to see Rekhi and Malik standing around a table and moved over to them curiously. "What is it?"

"Just look…" Rekhi smirked with excitement, voice lingering with every word. 

Yuumei glanced up at him, noting the keen expression within them. She followed his gaze and looked at what was placed on the table, shaking her head with confusion at a fragment of something. "I don't understand."

He ran slender fingers over it, "Don't you see? It's a section of a tablet….a tablet that happens to be of the priest's memory."

Her eyes widened, "Seth's?"

"Yes…"

"Now _I _don't understand," Malik finally spoke up, looking between the two and back at the piece of the tablet. "It's useless to us. We would need Seto Kaiba, in which we don't have."

"We don't need him."

"What?"

"Yuumei, bring over the runt from the corner."

The Change of Heart blinked a moment then nodded, making her way to the corner and eying over the body of Shinkou and smirked. She hooked her arms around his and dragged his limp form from the corner over to her master. "Here you go."

Rekhi smirked and smacked the other's face a bit, causing him to stir slightly before opening his eyes. "Wha…?"

"Well, hello there," Rekhi gave a sarcastic smile, hearing Shinkou groan painfully. The silver-haired lifted Shinkou away from Yuumei and forced him to stand, only to shove him against the table and move face to face with him. "Dear, dear, Shinkou…that's your name, right? Not that it matters." His gaze left Shinkou and looked over to Malik. "We don't need the priest. We don't need the rest of his memory tablets either, this single one can do enough damage."

"How..?"

"It's connected to him," Rekhi chuckled and looked over to Shinkou again with a sadistic smirk.

"But I told you, we need Seto, he's the only one who can open it."

"No, he's not."

Malik shook his head with confusion, staring at the tablet again. "What do you mean? That makes no sense!"

"This boy can access its powers," Rekhi licked his lips and noted a horrified expression cross Shinkou's face. "Yes…that's right…you understand, I see…good. Then you must understand that once we get you to open the piece of the memory tablet…we can use you to access straight into the priest's mind, hm?"

"No…" Shinkou murmured, struggling away from Rekhi, but collapsed weakly and in pain to the floor. He clenched his eyes shut, still trying to move further away. "I won't do it, I won't!" his voice went hoarse on him and he began to cough, body demanding energy - but there was a lack of it.

"Really now, I'm not a fool. You see…you don't have a choice in this," Rekhi laughed out and stepped back slightly, now at Malik's, watching the blonde pull out the Sennen Item carefully. "Don't worry, it won't hurt _too _much…"

************

"I can't believe they said it was stolen! I bet it was jus' some kinda lie!" Jou sulked as Isis, Seto, and himself all stepped out of the shop. It had taken them forever to search through the junk in it, only to have Isis finally asked someone, who gave them an answer that it was stolen. When they asked by who, the response was that they didn't even see the person. If it was that.

"No, they speak the truth…" Isis whispered, shaking her head. "I do not sense the piece anywhere around here."

"So this trip was useless," Seto snorted, crossing his arms. Isis shot him a narrow glare, but said nothing. Jounouchi merely sulked a bit before leaning against the brunette. 

"We need to find that piece before someone else does."

"Give up, Isis, there's no point. Besides, if I'm what you so call claim, then no one else can take my… 'memory,'" Seto smirked at his own logic, but when he though Isis would understand it as well, her glare was still fixated on him. "_What_?"

"You are wrong, Seto. There is someone out there that feels much closer to you than you know of. And he can open it."

Seto blinked a bit and he felt Jou's gaze on him, suspiciously. He knew that the mutt was seeking an answer on who Isis was talking about, but not even Seto could answer him now.

************

__

Mariku fell back a bit, eyes wide as the glow around him pulled before his body. His breath left him completely for only a few seconds, eyes wide as all blood rushed to his hands and it felt like they weighted him forward. He gasped, body falling to the ground besides Yami suddenly and he lost all senses, yet stayed conscious. He could hear Yami mutter in shock and Bakura yell a long, loud curse as his vision started to return.

The gold light that had been around his body at one point formed into a part of a head, dragon-like even, red eyes glaring daggers in Bakura's direction. The attacked that had been aimed for Yami was destroyed as the golden spirit snapped through it in rage, like an arrow heading for Osiris. 

__

"It's Ra's spirit…" Yami whispered, hands clutching to Mariku. "It's the Sun Dragon…but…how…?" Yami shook his head, not understanding how it was possible for Mariku to bring forth…well, part of the beast. It wasn't the actual form of the Sun Dragon, just the head and just the spiritual presence of it.

Mariku was just as appalled, but all feeling in his body returned.

"Fuck! Osiris, get out of the bloody way of that thing!!" Bakura cried out, now kneeling (opposed to standing) on the Saint Dragon's head, feeling it try to get out of the way, but his eyes widened as the gold form cut right through Osiris' body. "Shit," Bakura murmured, his beast starting to dissolve into the Realm of Shadows where it belonged. 

Mariku embrace Yami, shock running down his spine as Bakura fell through the sky, Ra's spirit now gone as if it were never there in the first place. 

"CHANGE OF HEART!!!" Bakura's voice rang through the air, desperate as he almost hit the ground, only to be caught in the arms of the two halved monster. Mariku cursed a bit and stood up with Yami, watching Bakura carefully, the Change of Heart vanishing again and Bakura simply stood there, glaring vengeance. "You no good bastards…" he hissed, slowly stalking forward. "You're going to pay….you're all going to pay…and this time, I don't think you can summon Ra twice…I'll show you the true meaning of pain…" 

************

::Laugh to self.:: I'm so evil, ne? I was gonna save that last part for the next chapter…::Shrugs.:: Oh well… 

To clear some things up….Mariku didn't really summon Ra, it was just like a spirit form of it, not the full portion of him. That still probably made no sense…maybe I can draw it…Speaking of drawing, here's a recent picture of Bakura that I did, his shoulder/arm ish a little screwy, but otherwise I like it: 

I was going to clear some other stuff up too….damn…can't remember….The who think with Shinkou and Seto will be cleared up at some point, probably in a clip from the past. I hope there aren't many errors in this chapter XD Half of it has been corrected…I have fun with Yuumei. I like her, she's one of my muses now XD She's sweet in her own odd, insane way, I suppose. 

I have been writing a lot less lately…I recently got the game Final Fantasy XI and have been playing it as much as possible. If anyone has it, my server is Diabolos with the character Akisame and Ragnorak with Hiru. My username thingy ish also "Akisame," if you want to sent me a message or something XD

Next chapter expect: Mariku forcefully escaping the hospital (while still injured), Yami-angst, and a hell of a lot to do with Shinkou and Seto. And probably some past crap too. 

Please review ^^ Comment, ramble, give hints, and try not to hurt me. Don't hurt Rekhi either, he's very evil in the story - but very fragile and kind of pathetic…he's afraid of the dark o.O;; Someone's going to kill me in later chapters though….I swear….and it probably won't just be Todo…


	9. Losing It

****

IMPORTANT NOTE: No monkeys were harmed to make this fic.

Ok, not important, but I was being easily amused - got a problem with that?! I'm attempting to finish this, it's Christmas Eve and nothing is going on in my house. *Listening to the Japanese theme of Princess Mononoke* Power to Jap music…Yeah…anyway, I'm leaving the 26th for Virginia and will be able to write on the plane, but still I hope I finish this. 

(Which I didn't). So sorry. This is now posted on New Year's Eve *shrug* not _too _bad. While I was away I worked on a Santa Clause 2 slash fic (future Bernard/Santa) heh, on the third chapter for that…keep a look out if you're even SLIGHTLY interested. Brief summary: Bernard snaps.

"Kanashimi to ikari ni hisomu makoto no kokoro wo shiru wa mori no sei mononoke-tachi dake mononoke-tachi dake"

"Lurking in the sadness and anger, the only ones who know your true heart are the forest spirits. Only the spirits, only the spirits…" -Mononoke Hime: _Princess Mononoke_

************************

__

"What do you mean?" Mariku snapped out, glaring off towards Bakura who began to become illuminated over with a dark magenta glow. 

"I'll show you pain…I'll show you it all…until I'll have you twitching _on the steps of your own palace…" he sneered, a sudden joy filling his eyes in pleasure. "Your power has never stood up to mine, _Pharaoh_, **never**. And it never will."_

"Shut up," Yami murmured, sinking back a bit.

"Pathetic. Well, Pharaoh, where are your guards and priests to help you? Where are they hiding? Or did you 'order' them away to save yourself from embarrassment? Heh…never mind, you're not that smart." Bakura's hand flickered up so his palm was pointed towards Yami and Mariku, a smirk dances across his face and reaching his eyes in a slow moment. "Meet my prized monster," he snickered, the magenta glow shifting to a mix of black and deep blue. "Diabound, I give you my strength and show to you your sacrifices!"

"Diabound…?" Yami blinked, confused, but his breath caught and started to drain away. 

Green, red, and blue light cut into the area and Bakura spun around, the energy that had been bathing him drained away and leaked into the ground. Mariku stared in confusion and stood close to Yami, watching the tri-strands of light circle around Bakura, watching the silver-haired fiend choke on what they assumed to be his own blood before falling to the ground. The light pulled further back, encasing three forms - two priests, one teen: Reia, Seth, and Shinkou. Not surprised either, Ishizu stepped up alongside with them. She looked down upon Bakura's form, making absolute sure that he was unconscious before looking up at the two on the steps. "I had not meant to be more delayed, my apologies. We were supposed to be here before both you and he had arrived," she sighed and moved forward, walking passed them and up the steps.

__

Shinkou started to follow and his knees buckled, his power drained more (if possible) than before. Seth caught his arm, assisting him in a way up even if it seemed more like dragging him. Hazel eyes half closed in pain and Shinkou leant against Seth, much to the High Priest's displeasure, but that didn't matter to Shinkou. Reia chuckled softly and Seth glared, she merely shrugged and moved up before Yami, bowing very slightly. "We've come, my Pharaoh. The Oracle has informed us of your plan. I will have one of the priests send a message out to our Hermit, Shaadi, for him to head out to the palace."

"…Thank you," Yami murmured, not entirely sure why they needed Shaadi, but he would not turn down the plans of Ishizu. 

"We should get started," Reia explained and stepped between Mariku and Yami, hooking both her arms with the other two and leading them up to the palace entrance. 

Seth sighed back where he stood and looked to Shinkou, taking the other in his arms, tossing his head back to glance at some of the lower classes of priests. "Take that thief's body in after us," he snorted, referring to Bakura. With a second he adjusted Shinkou in his arms, faintly smiling when the other curled against him and the High Priest followed the others in.

************************

"Fuck it, Ryou! I'm leaving!" Mariku pushed passed the door to his room, hearing fast footsteps of doctors coming closer and he pivoted back to face the other. "Will you help me, or not?!"

"I…Mariku, you should really rest!"

"I take that as a no…?" the spirit's eyes narrowed into slits as he looked upon the hikari, watching Ryou quickly shake his head and agree to help him. Mariku brightened, "Good." He shoved the hikari out in front of him and they started down the hallway, keeping alert gazes. Surprisingly, they were doing well until they passed by ICU (Intensive Care Unit) and Mariku's eyes fell along a bed within, doctors circling it. _So **that's **where they all are…_ He kept moving, glancing back when Ryou stopped, staring into the window with a panic-stricken face. "What is it?"

"What's happening to him?! Yami! What are you doing to him?!" Ryou cried, trying to get into the room, but it was locked. Mariku pressed against the wall, acting "natural" when a nurse came out and told him to keep his voice down, consoling him with a few pats on the shoulder. He growled a bit and backed away, pointing at the window. "Why is my ya - brother in there?!"

"Relax, we just had to transfer him somewhere so we could look after him, sweetie. It's all right, really. Some of his stats just dropped a little bit, but we're raising them again now," her sing-song voice made Ryou want to harm her badly and made Mariku want to throw up. The blonde stepped forward to glance in the window, catching sight of Bakura laying in the bed and his eyes widened, mystified. _How is he in there…? Could that…. 'other' with my hikari really be from the past…? _He shook his head and grabbed Ryou's arm, waving to the nurse and dragging him down the hall.

"Mariku! My yami is in ICU, I won't go with you until -"

"Until what? Until they keep telling you he'll be all right? You can see him right through the window! I can't see Yami - I have no idea to see if he's still alive!" Mariku snapped and Ryou decided that he had gotten rest earlier, but signs of fatigue were still very present. Ryou bit his lip and lowered his head. "Please, Ryou. If your yami has been here all this time, that means someone is posing as him. And that someone has my hikari's aid, has taken Shinkou, and most likely that's where Yami went."

"I'm…sorry…I didn't mean to sound…." Ryou hung his head a little, "inconsiderate…I'm just worried about him…" _I care about him. No one else does it seems though. _"Come on, we should hurry, maybe the ring can track the puzzle and -"

"Hey, you! You're supposed to be in bed!"

"Oh shit," Mariku cursed and turned to run, Ryou staring at a large-sized woman in a nurse robe, waving a thick fist in the air before charging. The chocolate orbs widened and Ryou quickly spun on his heel and chased after Mariku, trying to find his cell phone in the process. 

"Do you have any idea where you're going?!" the silver haired called after the dark spirit, watching Mariku nearly hit a wall, but managed to turn a corner. _He's going to get himself _killed_! _Ryou let out a breath, finding his cell phone, eyes suddenly loosing sight of Mariku, though only to be grabbed by an arm and pulled to the floor….of an elevator. The shouts of the woman increased and chatter started up as office doors and other rooms with doctors opened, after all they were in the ICU area and to have people yelling was poor health. "Ow…" Ryou internally cursed as he rubbed his side where he landed, watching as Mariku tried to find which floor to go to, getting the basement. 

"Why the cell phone?" the spirit asked and sank to the floor as the elevator doors closed. Sweat ran down his reddened face, his paled hands rolling up his sleeve to reveal equally pale arms. Ryou stared upon them in worry, it was a mix of what blood Mariku must have lost, and most likely a fever. 

"I'm calling to see if Otogi can get over here - that way we'll have a car."

"Hn," Mariku breathed, rubbing an arm over his face to brush away some of the sweat. He rested his head back, staring up at the counter of floors that moved slowly lower. He forgot which floor they started on, but they were currently passing the forth floor.

"Hey, Otogi! …Yeah…I'm ok, sort of. I need favor. Can you get over here quickly…? You'll be at the main entrance…? Um…" Ryou glanced at the floor counters and quickly jumped up, pushing the emergency stop button once they got to the 1st floor and signaled for Mariku to get up, nibbling his lip when it took the spirit a minute or two. "We don't have a destination currently, we just need a quick ride out of here….great! Thanks, Otogi, I owe you one," Ryou sighed and turned off the phone, slipping it into a pocket as him and Mariku stepped out of the elevator. 

"He's coming…?"

"Yeah, he's coming," Ryou looked over at the front desk, raising a brow to the fact that no one was there, but they were able to get out of the building. The air hit against Mariku in a rush, complaining that it was cold out, causing Ryou to eye him oddly. "Mariku…are you ok…?"

"I'll be fine," he scoffed to himself, vision blurring lightly as he saw a car pull up. Ryou grabbed his arm, pulling him forward and spoke out to someone, but Mariku's mind was in his own world - he had no idea what was going on.

************************

Noises. There were so many different noises outside his locked door. So much yelling, so much fear and laughter and darkness. So much power. So much……it was too much. Yami lay on his stomach, head flat on the ground as he stared blankly at the door. He had to get out. He _had _to push through the door, had to help Shinkou who he heard shouting not long ago. Now it was silent. _Dead _silent. Yami closed his eyes. First, he had to stand. Standing would be the smartest thing he could do. "I can get up, I can help Shinkou…then I can kill _Rekhi _and everything will be fine…" 

There was a pause before he rolled onto his back and started to laugh hysterically, shoulders shaking as he continued to laugh. "Who the heck am I trying to kid? I can hardly stand up let alone _help _anyone!" his laughter was dying into a sob and he pathetically curled onto his side. 

Who was he kidding… If Rekhi were in here at the moment, he'd be saying the same thing. The same chant. The same haunting words that he wasn't a Pharaoh. He was a weakling, he needed help from everyone, he never could rule Egypt. He couldn't even keep hold of Osiris. _Twice_. The first time he lost it was in Egypt and it was obvious to Yami that Osiris yearned for someone like Bakura to be its master, that's why in Egypt the monster turned on Yami so easily! Who wouldn't? Who would serve under someone who can't even keep a strong mind?

Even Yami's will to live was weakening. He wouldn't this to be over with, to be done with, but he was _trapped _in a room. The tray of food that had been brought by Yuumei was minutes ago kicked into a wall, scraps of the meal plastered against it, staining it. A drink of a fizzing soda had spilled along the old wood floor, seeping into it. 

Dried tears stuck to Yami's face, his tears subsiding not long after they had started. Now just the blank stare held to the locked door. He needed Mariku. He _desperately _needed Mariku. His breath hitched and he resisted the need to cry again. He had to get over this…he had to….he didn't know! He didn't know anything, his mind was refusing to work! "I-I can't…" he bit into his lip, copper tasting liquid filling in as pain throbbed over the lip, having bit hard enough to cause the blood to flow out.

Under the door he caught a flash of light and he whimpered lightly, pulling his pained body towards the door, making it close enough to look beneath it before flattening back to the ground. "…I'm…sorry…"

************************

He wanted to scream - his mind was being gravely invaded and it was a hard battle to keep in control. His sight faltered and he felt his hands forced over a surface by the will of another's mind and Shinkou internally cried out, control snapping. Malik's mind wove into power over his, forcing him to open the tablet that his hands had been resting on. _Break into the High Priest Seth's mind_, a voice gave him the thought.

Shinkou trembled in the darkest corner of his mind, feeling tormented at the thought that he could kill Seto here and now if he lost his will. _I won't do this! _He snapped towards the other mind trying to force him along. _You will! Now bend to my will, access the memory!_

************************

Jounouchi and Seto walked behind Isis in silence down the street. Jou's trust had faltered momentarily and Seto had been finally worrying over what was going on, nothing was making sense anymore. He always believed that the whole Egyptian fairytales were just that - stories. Stories that tried to make everyone believe a certain thing, but Seto had made sure that he wouldn't fall for any of it.

He refused to.

Isis stopped walking and half turned to face them, the eye of her Tauk flickering with a glow briefly and she watched Seto, curiously almost. "What?" he rose a brow, stopping his movements and staring back at Isis.

"Are you feeling all right, Seto?"

Hey, she called him by his actual name for once. "Yes, I'm fine," Seto snorted nonetheless. He wasn't sure if he was though, his mind suddenly seemed to briefly split and he could hear his voice in a distant, but it was different…

__

"Put the body over there somewhere, I really don't care. Just make sure he stays asleep, or it'll be your heads."

Seto winced, rubbing his eyes and shaking his head. Isis and Jou both questioned him and he rose his gaze to them both, shaking his head with uncertainty. "I'm….not sure…" 

__

"Keep him sedated! I do not want to see him awake even for a moment!" 

"What's going on…?" Seto clenched his teeth, hand moving back from his eyes to dip into his hair, grabbing the mess of locks as pain filled his mind. Jou stood close to him, trying to embrace him, but Seto quickly shook him off, shaking now. "Isis…what's going on…?"

"What is it troubling you…?"

"I hear my voice…but…I swear it's not me…" he murmured, falling back against a building wall. He winced again, trying to figure what was going on. Every so often he caught an image crossing his mind, but most of the voices he couldn't hear. Only…what he assumed….was his… He most definitely saw himself at times, but what he was wearing seemed almost _outrageous_. 

"What do you hear yourself saying…?" Isis spoke again, seeming nervous for once.

__

"Get your filthly hands away from him!" 

He relayed the words to her, in a weaker tone than what he heard them in. He seemed angry, that was for sure. There was an image of him again, glowing with brilliant power. 

__

"Spirit of the White Dragon!" 

"Then something about the white dragon…" Seto mumbled, almost incoherent. Jou slumped to the side, obviously unneeded at the moment. Isis shifted again. "Some spirit…or something…"

"We're too late," she whispered, hanging her head.

"Too late for what?" Jou finally spoke up.

"The tablet has been opened."

************************

Shinkou nearly collapsed, still being controlled and he was losing his will more and more. _Call him_, the voice told him, snaking into every corner of his mind. _Call him, make him come here, use your magic to use the tablet and call him here_. 

__

NO! Shinkou yelled back, but it sounded weaker than he wanted it to. He had heard Rekhi and Malik distantly talking with Yuumei, something about if they had Seto - they could get the third God card, they could have Obelisk. And they could kill Seto. He wouldn't have anything to do with it. But…

__

DO IT NOW! A pain burned through Shinkou's mind and stunned him, his grasp on his thoughts slipping and more of his magic broke over to fill into the tablet fragment. He was laughed at, but he couldn't do anything to stop it - or stop the thought that passed from his mind in a sob and into the fragment.

__

Help me…

************************

__

Help me…The thought passed through Seto's mind, a desperate plea to be saved. He knew the voice, somewhere in a part of him he knew it. Part of him jumped to being alert, panicked by the tears the voice held, the other part of him was still trying to make sense of where it came from. Nevertheless, he had started walking, being led by instinct.

"Seto-kun! Where are you going…?" Jounouchi took to follow him, Isis in pursuit as well, being smart and stepping right in front of the other. 

"I have a feeling where you are heading is not the best choice."

"Move away, Isis," Seto growled, hissing when Jou grabbed his arm to hold him back. "Release me, Katsuya!" he ignored the hurt that crossed over his…lover's…eyes. Right…Jou and him were together, part of him was protesting that now. He had the choice at the very moment to stay with Jou and be happy with his puppy…or go to the voice. _I know that voice I heard…I think it's Yami's cousin…he was up here visiting…_ Wait, why would he go to bother with Shinkou though? 

"Seto…please….I don' know where you're tryin' to go…but if Isis thinks it's bad, then you shouldn't go! Please, just stay with me…please…don' leave…" Jou made the desperate attempt to beg and Seto watched him, eyes full of uncertainty that scared Jounouchi to a high extent. Why was his Seto acting like this? What made the decision so hard? Stay with the puppy, or don't stay. Or maybe Seto was afraid something was going to happen to Jou, and had to go simply to protect him? _That seems unlikely…_ Jou sunk back, depressed by the thought.

"Seto Kaiba, I am not letting you go," Isis' face darkened. 

Seto's body internally protested and he pulled passed both of them, "I'm going. I have to help him," he growled. Jou started after him only to be grabbed back by the elder Ishtar woman. Seto merely kept walking.

"I have to go after -"

"He's made his decision. The past haunts us all still, Katsuya. And some tendencies cannot be escaped. He's only following what he couldn't finish in the past, I am sorry."

************************

__

"What is it you want us to do?" Yami questioned, shakily watching as Ishizu entered the Throne Room. If this was any other situation, Yami would have chuckled as Mariku looked around in surprise. He must have liked what he saw - it was a good thing he hadn't really seen the palace before Yami. The Pharaoh would otherwise be afraid if Mariku was just with him for the fact of the palace's riches.

In truth, Yami hated the place. Not just because of Bakura, but because he wasn't all to fond of ruling anyway. He'd rather be out on the streets. When he was the Prince at a younger age, he had always escaped his father's grasps and went out into the streets wearing a robe over his form to hide away. He had always loved going to the Nile, sometimes swimming, but made sure to keep far from any of the other kids that had also gotten away from their families to take a dip in the Nile. And the night was the best, when the stars came out and the moon rays hit over the sand dunes and water and the city itself. 

Yami briefly smiled, but snapped back to the reality of the palace as Seth entered with Shinkou in the arms, a few of the lower-ranked priests coming in with Bakura's body, "Put the body over there somewhere, I really don't care. Just make sure he stays asleep, or it'll be your heads," the High-Priest signaled with a brief movement of the head.

"...Is Shinkou all right?" Yami questioned, shifting on his feet slightly as Seth moved his attention to him.

"He'll be fine, he just won't be able to summon the Black Dragon for awhile, much less use any of his magic. He's completely drained, therefore is tired."

"You could have just said he was tired," Mariku murmured, crossing his arms and watching Reia and Ishizu set up some sort of alter before the throne. 

"My Pharaoh, if you would please be seated," Ishizu spoke out suddenly and Yami jumped a bit, gaze weary.

"Must I...?" he sighed and Mariku nudged him forward with a reassuring smile. Yami forced the gesture in return, taking in a shaky breath before striding forward, moving around the alter to his throne, staring at it with slumped shoulders before taking a seat. He'd yet to remember the last time he sat upon it. His crimson gaze traveled over the area, widening when he caught the silver-haired thief in the corner shifting.

Seth had been setting Shinkou carefully down, much to the boy's protest, when he had noticed the Pharaoh's sudden change in expression and swiftly turned to look back where Bakura had been left. His voice quickly snapped in anger, "Keep him sedated! I do not want to see him awake even for a moment!" A few of the priests glanced at him wearily and quickly started to work up a Sleep spell, chanting in sync, hands over Bakura's body, but the thief came to, despite their attempts. Seth's eyes widened when Bakura weakly rolled away, moving for the closest body in need to destroy - Shinkou. "Get your filthly hands away from him!" he growled in an overprotective way, power surging as he held out a hand as if to stop Bakura. "Spirit of the White Dragon!" he snapped, feeling his own energy drop to a low level and he nearly collapsed as a white-blue sliver of light encircled him before forming into the shape of a dragon head and striking Bakura down again.

"Seth! Are you all right?!" Reia had left the room a few minutes back, entering back now through the main entrance of the room with wide eyes, looking between the tired Seth, the half conscious Shinkou, and finally to the Bakura being out cold. 

__

"I'm fine," he scoffed, forcing himself to stand again, glancing towards Shinkou to see the other sleeping on his side and Seth lightly smiled, forcing himself to return to the stern and ready face. Reia stepped into the room, a robed man following her in, eyes closed and he was carrying a bundle securely in his hands. "Ah, our Hermit arrives."

"Shaadi," Yami spoke out from where he sat. 

"Pharaoh. It is good to see your face again," the Hermit, Shaadi, approached forward, respectfully bowing his head to Yami before turning to see the setup and then to Ishizu. "I have brought the seven items you requested from the distant village."

"Very good, many thanks to you, Shaadi."

He nodded his head again. 

"We will start soon. Shaadi, Mariku, Seth, Reia, and…" her eyes scouted the room, looking over the alter as Shaadi layed out the seven items on it and then moved with the other's Ishizu had called forward. They needed one more, and with Shinkou's current state, he was out of the question. She called to two of the priests to bring Bakura over to them and including herself and the Pharaoh, they only had six bodies. She held very little trust in anyone left in the room. With a sigh, she spoke again, "There needs to be someone to use their magic on two items," she caught Mariku starting to speak as if to volunteer Bakura and cut him off, "that is not sacrificing their soul."

Mariku snorted and glared at Bakura's body.

"I will gladly do so, Oracle," Shaadi spoke up, face with the same straight expression as he had walked in with. Ishizu smiled to him, glad that was settled.

Further away, Shinkou woke from his nap, raising his head to look over at what was going on and sat up. He tilted his head slightly, watching everyone line up with an item in their hands, Bakura's body now laid on the alter, Yami remained in the throne, and Mariku stood right in front of the alter, everyone else was standing in-between the throne and alter. He opened his mouth, wanting to speak up as he shakily stood, looking over at Seth in worry when a dark fog started to fill the room. 

Ishizu began to chant.

************************

Ok, odd ending. That last part was really boring, I'm sorry. Heh. Shaadi is a Hermit XD It fits him though…I think anyway….Despite that last scene, I had fun writing the rest of this. Done in one sitting of three hours! XD Well, not fully three hours because I took a break and read the previous chapters. I had some really stupid errors, at one point I had called Rekhi, "Bakura." I don't think anyone noticed though.

Seto and Shinkou. Had fun writing that, past and present. Poor Jounouchi…There was going to be Puppyshipping in this story! I was going to try and hold to that (present-wise anyway). But…I don't want to…. **Ha, people tell me which you'd rather: Seto/Jounouchi or Seto/Shinkou. **

Has anyone ever had an OC that they use in most of their stories that it almost feels like they ARE a real character and not an OC? *Wonders if that made any sense.* Well, that's what Shinkou is like to me XD Though oddly for some reason he seems to be with Anzu…when Anzu is actually IN the story that is…she's fun to make OOC and have her dress in black and yet still be "Anzu." *Tries to stop making no sense* -.-;;

Oh, and I'm very sorry about the first scene, it was actually the only thing I didn't write in my 3-hour sitting, I wrote it at school and completely forgot what I was doing, so it was a rather abruptly done, I meant it to be longer and more dramatic…

*Looks over chapter* Heh, Yami-angst. I liked that scene actually, it was kind of jumbled, but that was on purpose. And before that with Mariku and Ryou escaping and Mariku's condition starting to show more….Bakura in ICU…is it ICU? I couldn't remember, I'm _mostly _sure that's what hospitals call it.

Please, please, **_please_** review! I was kind of disappointed….I only had TWO reviews on the last chapter. **TWO**! That's very painful…


	10. Just Breath

I keep having flashes of this story….but I need at least one chapter before I get to it…it's annoying…

Ah! I had one vote for the Seto/Jou, everything else was Seto/Shinkou - so (yayy) that's what it'll go as. Don't want it? Too bad. Shinkou kicks ass.

The chapter focuses mainly on Seto and the few that are with him. Heheh…Probably not a lot of past scenes, but that's besides the point.

"Dear my friends in the time we spent forever after and beyond when will our nightmare ever end? Pull the trigger and the nightmare stops." -Three Evils (Embodied in Love and Shadow): _Coheed and Cambria_

************************

__

I don't understand, Yami thought fast, hearing the door burst open to look up at a smirking figure. Rekhi. He gave a pained cough, trying to back away only to have his arm seized by the other, beginning to be dragged from the room. "Let go of me!!" Yami yelled desperately, only to be backhanded across the face. He went quiet after that, attempting to sink into the floor panels to no avail. 

Rekhi moved away and now it was Yuumei watching over him, her face looking so soft and nice at the moment. "Help…" Yami whispered as if she would comply, but all she did was smirk and unfold both her wings. Angel and demon - of course….how could he ever forget? Yami searched the room he was pulled into, spotting Malik laughing down at a crumpled over form….Shinkou. "Shinkou!" Yami tried making his way to his cousin, but Rekhi's foot came down on his hand and he cried out in pain, pulling back.

"Fool, stay tamed and you will live longer," the thief snapped out, eyes glaring down at Yami's body. He scoffed and kicked the other in the ribs, pushing him out of the way before moving towards Malik. "We hold Osiris and Ra…Seto Kaiba should be on his way…and then we can get Obelisk from him…how good…and with the rat over there," he jabbed a finger in Yami's direction, "I will be able to official take the title of Pharaoh as my own."

Malik chuckled at the perfect plan. With two God Cards with them at the moment…they were unbeatable! And soon a third…He glanced over at Shinkou's body, snickering at the trembling figure. "Do you really think the priest will come?" he blinked, staring over to Rekhi.

"Oh, the priest will come all right. He won't miss saving his cherished one again…as it is his life as he High Priest has been opened due to that single tablet slab. It'll be enough. He will come."

__

Seto…? Come for Shinkou? Why…? Yami remained silent, but his mind was confused…it didn't make much sense…Did Seto care for Shinkou in the past? Yami must've been too utterly bruised to even notice it seems. _What about Jou...? _He shook his head, this shouldn't be on his mind right now. He had to save everyone…even if it would kill him in the process. 

************************

"Is the ring picking up anything…?" Mariku hazily asked, rolling his head back against the seat.

"Slight traces…" Ryou sighed, forcing the ring into power again. He didn't _have _that much energy to keep it going, normally his yami would handle the energy part of it…but Ryou couldn't borrow energy from his other now, because it risked killing him. "Turn left!" he suddenly spoke out when one of the arrows quickly sprung up in a direction, Otogi made a loud sound of disapproval, turning the wheel as best he could and making the turn. "OTOGI!" Ryou snapped, feeling the energy gravely jump. 

"Knock it off!" he yelled back, cursing ancient magic all the while. He stopped at a dead end, breathing heavily before glares off behind to Ryou, "Remind me the next time I help you both - to say _no_," he growled, leaning back in the seat. He shot a glance to Mariku, raising a brow when he noticed the other was sleeping. "Wake him up and let's go."

"You're coming?" Ryou blinked as he stepped out of the car, closing the door. 

Otogi merely shrugged, "Why not? Honda got set up with some tutor so I won't be able to see him the rest of the day."

"Tutor?" Mariku scoffed as he grunted from being woken up (Otogi had to kick him). "Psh, what's he failing?"

"What is he _not _failing?" Otogi smirked, getting out of the car and waited for the spirit. Mariku swayed briefly, but the sleeping did him good. Though…how anyone could sleep with Otogi's driving is a mystery. Jade eyes turned to the building before them, shivering a bit at the cold feeling that traveled down his spine. "So, you really think this is the place…? We don't _have _to go in…I say…uh…we wait a bit. Just to make sure."

"Make sure of _what_?" Mariku hissed darkly. "We know the puzzle is there, so Yami must be too, dammit!"

Ryou was spacing out, staring at his Sennen item as the pointers all danced alive towards the building. "This…doesn't make sense…" he could feel the other's odd gazes and shook his head, confused. "It's not just picking up the puzzle. There's two others it's tracking…" he closed his eyes, imagining the energy in his mind and images of the puzzle, ring, and rod all flashed by his eyes. "What…"

"Ryou?" Otogi blinked.

"The ring and rod are there too."

Mariku scoffed darkly, starting forward and stumbling slightly. "That damn fake and my betrayal of a hikari…"

************************

Seto Kaiba's legs continued to carry him down a street, eyes on the ground in heavy focus. _I'm sorry, Jou. But something in me can't put this behind. _He sighed, at least no other memories of what he believed was really his past mixed into his present. It didn't matter much, but it did finally make him understand that all this "Egyptian crap" was not simple fairytales. 

And he hadn't had anymore messages for help… _Shinkou…dammit, what're they doing…_ He cursed again, speeding up his walk, only having a remote idea of where he was heading. His mind was directing him…and it was almost scary. "What the hell is leading me?!" he finally growled, suddenly stopping his movements completely. "I refuse to go any further until I get an answer." 

There was a flash of an image, he couldn't tell if it had been in his mind of really there. Nevertheless, it had been him in his priest getup. "That's not what's leading me," he snapped, glaring around as the sidewalk and road seemed to tip on him. _What's going on?! _

"It's real."

Seto found himself staring at a transparent form of a very agitated priest, stumbling back when it was _him_. He gulped slightly, shaking his head, _I really am beginning to hate Egypt. I'm just searching for Shinkou, not trying to get tangled in my past!_

"Then go find him," Seth took note of the confused other. Then again who could blame him, even though it seemed the past was meeting the present a lot lately. "You refused to move until you received an answer of how you were being led," the priest spread his arms out, "I'm your answer."

"What?" Seto blinked, ignoring his splitting headache. "How did you _get _here…?"

"I am a mere memory of your past. Yet I am you. I was planted into your mind from a tablet which was opened by Shinkou himself, though he was forced to. You've cared for him all along, no matter how much you try to deny it. You've only been pushed more to realize it because of my presence."

Seto nearly smirked, lowering his head, "Because I was attached to him so much in the past."

"I don't want to lose him a second time," the priest sulked slightly and Seto nodded.

"I don't want to lose him for a _first _time."

************************

"All right, we'll flip a coin. Heads we go in, tails…we stay out here," Otogi thought his idea was a stroke of genius, but Mariku and Ryou simply glared at him. He shrugged, "What?"

Mariku laughed, leaning against the car, "Heads we use our 'heads' to go in and tails we run away with out 'tails' between our legs," he didn't care if none of them had a tail. The whole concept was amusing to him. Otogi snorted and pulled out a quarter, running his fingers over it. "Afraid to toss it?"

"I'm concentrating!" he snapped back. Ryou sighed from the side, glancing toward the mansion. He was surprised it hadn't collapsed yet. "Ok…this toss decides it all…"

"Dammit, a coin can't decide our fate!"

"Fate decides itself."

Mariku glanced back, raising a brow at Seto Kaiba who had entered the scene, but it wasn't Seto who made the comment, it was the figure standing near the CEO. "Seth?"

"Hn," the figure vanished and Mariku blinked.

"Why are you three here?" Seto stared as if nothing had happened. 

"To get Yami," Mariku murmured, jabbing a finger towards Otogi. "He's afraid to go in. Trying to find different ways to get out of it. Hn." Seto rolled his eyes out of character and walked passed them, not caring that Ryou and Mariku followed after him - Otogi was left with the coin for a moment before realizing that he was being left behind. Mariku snickered at Otogi's frantic movement to catch up as they entered into the mansion. "Wait a second, why are _you_ here?"

Seto turned a glare to the Egyptian and only said one thing that mingled with silence afterwards, "Shinkou."

************************

"They're all coming in now," Malik spoke up, standing near a window. He turned his gaze over to Rekhi, who had seated himself on the couch. Shinkou and Yami's bodies were laid out before the couch; it'd be the first sight everyone would see. Malik moved, stepping on Yami's body before sitting besides Rekhi and leaning against him, the other putting an arm around him. "Yuumei, will you please greet them? Take some friends with you…" Rekhi slid a hand into his pocket to pull out a card and then stole some away from Shinkou and Yami, tossing them to his card. 

| Gladly. | she chuckled, taking the cards in a hand and moving out the door. | Such fun friends… |

Esoteros 9th

"Where do you think they'll be…?" Ryou glanced around, staying a bit behind the others. He felt his ring's energy perk slightly, sensing a new energy that could have only been from the other Sennen Ring. "I think something is -" he stopped as they all halted at the foot of the wide stairs, the Change of Heart glowing at the top of them.

| You all are very slow. Making us wait…hn. But I am not allowing you all to pass…yet. First you must prove your worth… |

Mariku growled, "We don't have time for this!" he started up the stairs towards her, but was pushed out of the way by a different force. His back hit to the stairs in pain and he glanced up, a dark toned monster known as the Unfriendly Amazon blocked him from attacking Yuumei. 

| You won't get by with foolish moves like that. | Four more forms glowed behind her, waiting to be summoned. The remaining cards in her hands vanished and the forms took shape: Legendary Flame Lord, Succubus Knight, Possessed Dark Soul, and Ancient Elf. | I've found new friends. |

__

Two of those are Yami's, Mariku stood up as best he could, pain searing down his back, but he chose to ignore it as best he could. _She's forcing them against their will…_

"What are we going to do…?" Otogi nibbled at his lip, staring up at the five. 

"We're going to fight!" Seth was visible in front of Seto for a brief moment, pumping adrenaline through the CEO. As if a bullet shot, a break out occurred and the four monsters moved away from Yuumei and moved in to attack, Seto's elbow hitting into the Amazon's stomach. Energy was surrounding him, he was assuming it was coming from the "memory" of his past. Then again…maybe it was _his _power… "If I don't see Shinkou soon, I'll make sure every monster here is mangled…"

| Shinkou….Shinkou….I don't remember a Shinkou. | she gave a smirk and he knew she was lying, but it still didn't stop the column of energy surrounding him, hieroglyphs burning around him like bubbles before a burst of divine light pushed through the Unfriendly Amazon and crushed her. Yuumei stared off to where the monster had been with saddened eyes, | You killed my master's monster. He won't forgive you later for that. |

Seto stood panting, the light around him had died off for the moment, but it took more out of him then he thought it would. _Was that from Seth?_

"No," the image was only faintly near him, "that was from your power which used to be locked away."

"Can Kaiba 1 and Kaiba 2 please stop _talking _and help others who don't possess magic?!" Otogi yelled to gather their attention, trying to fist fight with the Succubus Knight, but she had only a _few _more arms and hands than he did. Ryou seemed to be the luckiest one out of anyone, as the Flame Lord just stood before him, looking down. 

| Why are you not fighting?! | Yuumei stared at him, half glaring and half panicked. Every monster here should be under her command, which is Rekhi's power and control, so what was wrong? _It's because of them_. Her eyes narrowed and she looked between Ryou and Seto. _The true keeper of the ring and Shinkou's little protector. It won't hurt either of them. _Her demonic side flared with a dark flame around her as she yelled out, | Kill them all, NOW! |

"You look drunk," Mariku scoffed, snagging the Ancient Elf's staff and pulling out his copy of the Sennen Rod. "Knock yourself out," the rod gave a glow and he forced off whatever held control of the Elf, taking it as his own instead. "No…actually…knock out _that_.." he pointed towards the Possessed Dark Soul in swift order, handing the staff back to the Ancient Elf and turning away as the two monsters fought. He flashed a smirk towards Yuumei, "Maybe you should run and inform your master that we shall be up shortly."

| How _dare _you! | she hissed in an innocent way, her body having returned to its "neutral" balance. She cringed at the moan of the Dark Soul crumbling to ashes, another body back to the form of a card. That was two now…

"Good little spellcaster…now go attack her…" he directed the monster with a point of the Sennen item where Otogi was still trying to fend off the knight. Seto wasn't as much help as he thought he'd be. 

"Come on…use some fireworks again!" Otogi felt the knight hit a spell against him, sending him into a wall and staying plastered against it. Blood trickled down the side of his head, breathing limited, but he was alive enough. She cackled at him, moving towards the wall, the word 'kill' forming on her lips as all six arms rose, a spell forming into power.

"I _can't_!" Seto yelled back, trying to muster up any sort of energy, yet he couldn't find the power that he'd tapped into from before. _Why isn't it working again?! _

The Ancient Elf lunged for the Succubus Knight, causing her spell to hit him instead of Otogi. Another monster down, but it wasn't the knight. She wickedly worked to boil another spell. 

Mariku went to try and control her next, only to get distracted as Yuumei jumped at him from the side and grabbing the rod from him angrily. 

| I won't allow you to control anymore! Succubus Knight - finish that peasant now! Flame Lord…._stop standing there_! |

He looked over at her with dull eyes, telling her 'no' with them. 

| Fine then! | she held up a pallid hand, reaching it in his direction openly before closing it into a fist that drew him from the form of a monster back as a card. It was _useless _for her to have him out. Ryou blinked, shaking his head to clear himself from a daze.

"Ryou, summon a monster!" Mariku snapped out, stumbling down the stairs even as he said so. He thrust a hand out, snagging it around the railing. _Focus on the task at hand…not pain…task at hand…_he chanted in his mind, body shaking.

"What? How? With _what_? I don't have any cards with me…" he trailed off, head snapping up as Otogi let out a pained scream. "No! Otogi!"

__

Help me, damn you! Seto snapped through his mind, trying to stir the currently dormant Seth. _She's going to kill him! _his pupils dilated, a flame within his body flickering. In his mind he could touch it, feel its power, use it. The CEO's eyes clenched shut, fists clenching. 

Yuumei stood at the stairs, still holding the rod, but backed away for the hallway, the doors at the end for the main room. _Master…_ she distantly thought, turning and folding back her wings, readying to run when she felt Seto's power again, _hearing _it collide with the Succubus Knight's spell. 

Mariku moved quick enough to grab Ryou's arm, "MOVE!" he threw the boy at the stairs, shielding himself and Ryou as best he could. 

Seto shook under the strain of his spell and the knight's spell and the power of them, sinking to the ground to avoid it. He hardly heard the knight's screech, breaking apart. The spells finally died down, Seto glanced up, body sore as he stood. His eyes searched around, expecting to see Otogi, but when he spotted the other he merely stared. 

"O-Otogi….?" Ryou shifted as Mariku stopped shielding him, sitting up straighter and faltering to the side where he knew he was bruised. But it was better than being caught up in that spell.

Yuumei was laughing. 

************************

"What's taking them so long? Do you think they all died?"

"Hm. No, the point of their….greeting…was to weaken them ever so slightly…" Rekhi shook his head, promptly crossing his feet over Shinkou's unconscious form. Yami started to move, but Malik did the same with him as Rekhi to Shinkou. 

"You just want me…so just let them go…." Yami mumbled, earning a kick in the head from Rekhi. 

"Shut up, you have no idea who I need," his eyes turned alert on the door and he rose a brow at a loud crashing sound, voices not long after it. He smiled darkly, "and the one I don't need is out of my way."

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| Well, now we have a nice statue in the house! I'm sure my master will _adore _it! | Yuumei giggled happily. Otogi's body was still up against the wall, he had survived the blast….in a way. 

"Otogi…" Ryou stumbled over towards the wall, looking up in shock. The body was literally a statue, a wall hanging. Otogi had been petrified, fossilized, turned into stone! "No! No, this didn't happen! Seto's magic blocked the knight's! This couldn't have happened!" he looked back to the Change of Heart.

| Yes, if the priest's spell hadn't blocked the opposing one, your little friend would be dead right now. But because the two spells merged…the after effect petrified him! | she was too overjoyed with this, turning away and starting down the hallway.

Seto moved his gaze to the ground, "Sorry, Ryou. I'm sure after all this is done…we can help him."

"Right…" Ryou agreed after a few minutes, turning for the staircase. Mariku watched the two carefully, making sure he had some of his strength intact before following after Yuumei. Ryou took after him as well, Seto not far behind.

************************

The doors opened to Yuumei's will, she stepped in and bowed to her master before eying the doors through the corner of her eyes and slamming them shut. She gave a small smile, looking back to Rekhi afterwards. 

"How'd it go?" Rekhi trailed a hand through locks of Malik's hair casually as he glanced to his card.

| They're strong enough that it's sickening. The priest's magic awoken, though he's exhausted of it now. Mariku used his Sennen item to get rid of two monsters…ah…but here…| she held up the item and tossed it to her master. He smirked gleefully and handed it to Malik.

"Very nice job, Yuumei," he could hear banging on the doors as the outsiders tried to get in. Yami whimpered, trying to moved away, managing to sit up enough just to have Rekhi grab him by the collar of his jacket and pull him back to the ground. "_Stay_!"

"I won't let you hurt them!" he struggled, held down by Malik now.

"And when have _you _**ever **been able to stop me?" Rekhi spat and Yami sunk away. He gave a victorious laugh at the quick submission. "That's it my pet…hide away with fear. I'll deal with you last anyway. So just sit back and behave like a good little slave and let your master do his job."

| Ahem.. | Yuumei broke in, gathering their attention and continued to talk. | There is one less now, let's just say he is a new wall hanging for the mansion. Ah…I believe his name was Otogi… And the priest destroyed your Amazon… The only trouble I had was the Legendary Flame Lord responding to my commands. | She held up the four cards and gave them back to Rekhi. 

"Good, good…" he put the cards into his pocket, keeping both Shinkou's and Yami's. "Now…let them in."

************************

"Can't you guys open a door…?" Ryou blinked, pushing past the two and trying the handle. He sighed, now understanding their turmoil as it wouldn't budge. 

"It's harder than it looks!" Mariku growled, putting his body weight against the wood. Seto finally started to do the same instead of knocking on it like he had been. "Ok, ok…stop…." he stuck an arm out before the CEO. "On the count of three we run at them, ok?" the other nodded, "right. One…two…."

"Hey…wait!" Ryou tried to stop them as he saw the doors open on their own, but was too late.

"Three!" 

Ryou sighed, watching them charged right into the room. Luckily, they stopped at the sight before them. Ryou stepped in anxiously, looking over their shoulders and blinking, not sure what was surprising him more: the bodies on the floor, Malik, or Rekhi. _He….he looks just like…my yami…_

"About time, my friends," Rekhi stood, stepping over Shinkou's form, arms wide in greeting. A sinister smile crept over his face as he chuckled, enjoying each of their bewilder expressions….it was priceless. 

Yuumei stepped off to the side, standing besides the couch now, appearance seeming peaceful and sweet.

"Welcome," he chuckled, shaking his head in amusement, "Fools. Each one of you here…are _fools_."

"Shut it," Mariku growled, fists curling. 

"None of you…" Rekhi paused, crossing his arms. "Are going to make it out alive."

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Cha. Done! Now all I need to do is finish the next chapter of Alienated and I'm set. And _now _I can get into my little plots I've thought over…next chapter will be very long most likely. 


	11. Unbelievable

You know, when you think about it, this story is half AU. Here are my reasons why:

1. Mariku never did exist in Ancient Egypt, he was born from Malik who at the time it happened, was not in the ancient times.

2. The past is completely bent to my will and all the things relating to the Sennen Items never happened.

3. The God cards are probably completely wrong XD

4. Well, I could say that all the characters are completely wrong too, but well - that's obvious XD So really there aren't too many reasons. Oh well~

__

Reminder Note

[ Bakura to Ryou ]

{Ryou to Bakura }

****

Warnings: Yaoi - Clashshipping (Yami/Mariku), Seto/Shinkou, Malik/Rekhi. Future character death(s). 

Maybe only one chapter after this one left. But, but, but! There's going to be a semi-sequel! Well, it will be a sequel, just the focus of characters will shift. A lot. 

"Sorry is a word you like to say, but sorry won't erase the things you did yesterday." -Unforgiven: _Fefe Dobson_

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A door in the back chambers of the Sennen Puzzle opened with a click, the memory swirling around and filling Yami's conscious. It was different this time…all the memories he'd had so far weren't like this…He could hear _everything_, including the thoughts of others. But he began to realize that it meant the Shadow Realm's gap was opening too wide for comfort and the shadows were revealing to him what the puzzle couldn't.

************************

__

The pharaoh nearly choked as the air became thick, he wanted to reach his hand up to his throat, but the pressure in the room was too much for him to even try. Ishizu's voice was loud. And growing louder. Her Egyptian words lulling from her lips in a song like manner, curving around all the ones in the room. The seven items on the alter were glowering with brilliant color, the light licking out towards the figures. I won't be afraid_, the thought crossed through Yami's mind as he forced to keep his eyes open, using all his strength to stand._

Mariku managed a quick glance at the other worriedly, but pulled his attention back to Ishizu. Just a little longer, Yami. You can do it…

Bakura's body shifted from where he laid, eyes opening and glancing to the Sennen items. He growled darkly and laid back down. How dare they…ironic though…the items from my own village are the ones that will be my demise…_ He mumbled darkly, flinching when the items became enflamed with energy. How joyful for him…_

Shinkou watched from the other side of the room in horror, making eye contact with Seth for a brief moment before the priest looked away. He tried to stand, but only managed to sit up part way, "Stop it! You can't do this to them!" You can't leave me alone…She has no right to take everyone away from me! _He sent a dark look to Ishizu, begging her mentally to stop the spell, but it was too late….too far into it…_

A change overtook the Oracle's voice and the light from the items gathered and swirled out, waving between everyone as she made a comment for each person to make an internal vow - the Sennen items would feed off them. Shinkou sat there, only wishing he was apart of the ritual…so he could vow to see Seth again…but no…he was stuck on the sidelines. Watching.

Ishizu - May we be able to live on…

Shaadi - My job shall stay the same as always.

__

Seth - I'll see you again, Shinkou.

__

Yami - I want to be who everyone thinks I can be…

__

Mariku - I'll protect you forever, Yami.

__

Bakura - They can't get rid of me that easily…I'll finish them off again!

__

Bakura's eyes widened in pain, light energy tearing through his back and out of his chest, meeting up with the Sennen Ring. He opened his mouth, breathing hard as he felt his body pulling apart in many directions.

"What's…going on…?" Shinkou blinked, watching the same thing occur with each one of them.

Reia gave a sigh, standing not too far from him, "The Sennen items are choosing their keepers based on their vows," she could tell his next question and answered it immediately, "The Pharaoh, Mariku, and the thief are in pain because their souls are being put into the items. …I wish this didn't have to happen…but there's no other option…"

Yami's vision blacked out as the puzzle's power surged through him, taking away everything about him and sending it into the walls of the item. The energy was the only thing that kept him standing at that point, his body limply wavering in the air.

************************

Rekhi watched them, carefully. Laughing with amusement at their presence, eyes falling onto Seto. "So glad you joined us, priest. I knew you couldn't resist from coming. _All _of you are foolish enough to have come…"

"…So it was you…you must've been the one who attacked my yami!" Ryou cried out, staring at Rekhi who was adorned with the Sennen Ring around his neck.

"Me? I just did him a favor. He was too soft for his own good, so I put his mind and body to darkness and took over as him…heh…am glad I did," his shoulders shook with the laughter he couldn't contain, Malik besides him even gave a brief chuckle. "And then there's you…" Rekhi's eyes narrowed as he walked forward, right in front of Mariku. "…The little _hero_. The outcast rising up to rescue the 'all-mighty' Pharaoh. But there's no might to my pet, so why must you keep wasting everyone's time to save him?"

Yami kept his blank gaze to the ground, blonde strands masking most of his face. He sat near Shinkou's form, hands clutching the flooring. _They're all going to die because of me…_

"Shut up," Mariku bit out, "you know nothing about him."

"I know more than you could imagine," he snickered, striding over to the tired looking Seto. "Be a good priest now, would you?" he asked sweetly, but his voice just as quickly was deadly again, thick with warning, "Hand Obelisk over to me."

Seto only glared at the other, wishing he had saved some energy up from before. 

"You're trying my patience!" Rekhi yelled, hand seizing the other's chin and part of his neck, squeezing, leaning close enough to whisper in the other's ear, "Or you're loved one is going to suffer right before your eyes. Again, and again, and _again_."

************************

"Isis!" Jounouchi complained, trying to keep up with the woman (who wasn't exactly going that fast anyway). "Come on, what's in your head _now_?"

"You still wish to help Seto, am I right?" 

"What? Yeah, of course I do!" 

"Then we must get to Yuugi first, I have an idea though," she whispered calmly. They had went to Ryou's to check on him not too long ago, having to break in using some of Jou's skills. But all they found was a note on a table reading: 'At the hospital with my yami.' Jounouchi couldn't understand why this seemed so important to Isis, but when she was set in her ways - it was hard to change them it seemed.

They slowed down and he blinked when he noticed they were already there. He sighed with relief, watching the woman knock on the door and wait a moment. After it opened, he blinked when it was Anzu who opened it.

"Eh? Anzu? Why are you here?"

"Yuugi called me over. He was saying something about the puzzle feeling numb…" she trailed off, glancing to Isis with confusion, "Is something wrong?"

"There's going to be soon, I believe. We need to go over to the hospital and find Bakura," Isis watched as Yuugi came up besides Anzu, his body worn and sickly. "We'll need your help, Yuugi. I think you could be of some use as well, Anzu…"

"All right," she nodded in agreement, glancing to Yuugi and letting the silent boy move out in front of her.

Isis smiled reassuringly and set a hand onto the boy's shoulder, "It'll be all right, Yuugi. We're going to make sure your other will live."

************************

Seto's pupils shrunk and he tried to pull away from the other's grasp, but the pale hand held. 

"Is the priest afraid of me? I know you know that I'm not lying…it's in your eyes. So make it easy for us all now, will you please?" he chuckled darkly, watching Mariku and Ryou in the corner unsure of what to do.

Seto's hand unconsciously moved for his pocket, but a surge down his arm caused him to pull back. He was beginning to think that the memory of his past self was becoming more than that… _I have to give him the bloody card! _

__

"Right, of course. Like that _will save Shinkou."_

But - Seto sighed. Giving up Obelisk would only make things worse.

His glare tightened and Rekhi hissed darkly, the Sennen Ring strongly shining, but no one saw anything. 

"If you want to play like that, priest, then so be it. I can play these games too, you know," he snickered, letting the other go and walking towards the center of the room, rumbling in the background. "Can you hear it? …The storm that begins outside…" he signaled towards a window and indeed the clouds were blackening, lightning lashing out. "They arrive from _my _power - and yours will join them soon enough!" 

The roof whipped away in a cyclone method, being drawn up towards the center of two circling colors, wood from the roof splintering away distantly.

Crimson and gold spun together.

************************

"Isis?" Yuugi finally spoke once they made it to the entrance of the hospital. She looked to him, eyes in question as he gazed in the opposing direction. "What are those lights?" Anzu and Jounouchi followed his eyes as well and blinked, speechless and waiting for the Egyptian woman's answer.

"Ignore it…we must hurry…" she continued moving inside until Jou grabbed her arm.

"Tell us what it is or we won't help ya."

Her eyes narrowed in warning, "You want to know that much, Katsuya? Where everyone except you three are? They're by those two lights…and you know what they are?" her snappish voice caused Jou to pull away in fear, "They're the God Monsters - Osiris and Ra, waiting for their master's command. And if we don't hurry, it will only get worse, understand?"

The three nodded, Jounouchi dumbly.

************************

Mariku's hands pulled into tight fists at his sides, head held down in anger before his eyes snapped up to look at his love, "Yami! Get on your feet, now!" his hands uncurled in disappointment when the other failed to move, glazed eyes fixated to the floor still. 

Rekhi went into another fit of laughter and promptly grabbed the former pharaoh's arm and heaved him up, smirking as he nuzzled his head against the side of Yami's. "He's _my _pet, remember? He won't listen to your commands. And I told you, I know more than you ever could," he purred, reaching up a hand near Yami's neck and running a thumb passed the collar of the shirt. He watched with amusement as Mariku stiffened and the anger returned, but Rekhi didn't care. "I know every scar on his poor lithe body and how they got there. Each has a story, see? The different times I've _slipped _a dagger along his beautiful skin. Like this one…." he chuckled, pulling the collar down away from Yami's neck as he held the other close to him, forefinger rubbing over a long, jagged scar that extended beneath the shirt, presumably down his chest. "Second scar I gave him."

"You….bastard…" Mariku was doing his best not to make a lunge for the other's throat. There was too much power against him at the moment to even make the attempt, with the two god's spirit forms circling above them and the risk of Rekhi injuring Yami…he _had _to keep calm….but…

"He still had too much fight in him at the time. _Continuously _drawled on and shouted that he was pharaoh and I had no right to try and injure him. Ah, he learned after this mark," Rekhi smiled, caressing the part of the scar that could be seen. At that point Yami seemed to snap out of his daze and panicked, trying to pull away, but Rekhi placed his other hand forcefully against Yami's torso and forced him still. "Now, now, my little pet, _behave_, we have guests."

Malik had rolled his eyes, arms crossed as he watched the scene. _Does he have to hold Yami so close? _He gave a sigh, eyes shifting and widening. _Where'd Kaiba go? _He turned around quickly, checking on Shinkou to see the body had moved and he spun about once more. _That rotten priest! _He internally growled, watching as Seto was holding Shinkou up over a shoulder - and worse yet, the other was starting to wake. Malik hissed and looked back towards the silver-haired, "Rekhi!"

"What?" he shifted slightly to look to the other, catching what was so important and nearly threw Yami away from him. 

Mariku managed to sweep down and grab Yami before he hit anything, holding both arms as confusion of what was going on swarmed Yami's mind and he resulted in struggling, "Yami - _Yami_! Relax, it's just me…I'm not going to hurt you!" he let out a breath when the other slowly calmed down, holding him gently close. "It's going to be all right."

"You shouldn't have come," he nearly choked out, hanging his head disgruntled, "He's going to kill everyone."

"I don't care…" Mariku growled, his embrace tightening, "I'm not letting you die alone."

"Good god, can't you just behave?!" he shouted, the ring filling over with a golden glow, a card already pulled from his pocket and flying through the air, "Dark Scorpion - Meanae the Thorn! _Stop them_!" the card shaped into the warrior monster, her whip falling around her body and then uncoiling as it took to the air, grasping around Seto's ankles and pulling him to the ground. Rekhi snorted, "What a waste of time. Yuumei! Keep an eye on them."

She glanced up and around before nodding, walking over to join Meanae as Seto and Shinkou tried to struggle to sit up. Ryou moved to the other side of the room, keeping unnoticed as he made it to a table where the fragment of the tablet lay. He ran a finger over its sensitive surface, glancing around again, forcing a smile when everyone seemed to ignore him. _I wish I knew how to help…_

"I have a better idea, priest," Rekhi finally spoke after a few minutes of silence. He moved over to Malik, tension building in the air, "If none of you are going to act willingly. I'll just pry the God Card from your bloody corpse! And you too! I'll just kill you all in one god forsaken sweep of power! Fuck you all!" he yelled in rage that even scared Malik. "May all you burn in the flames of Hell that I'll put you in!"

************************

__

The pharaoh felt his body finally start to sink for the ground, or at least it seemed that way. In reality the puzzle was drawing his soul to its dark walls. Yami held up a hand towards it, touching a side of it and feeling all his power wash away. His eyes slid shut, body curling as darkness surrounded him.

He woke in shock, body barely sitting up right. A hand grazed his head and he blinked, thinking he saw someone there - but he was just alone. "Mariku? Seth?" shaken, he stood. Still he saw nothing, but he slowly heard something in the distance, coming closer to him, voices. But he'd heard them all before, it was like everything was flashing before him - so much it was beginning to hurt.

"What, the poor little Pharaoh can't save himself?"

"Run my lovely Pharaoh…run if you wish, it makes my life much more enjoyable."

"Come on, get up, someone's going to think I killed you."

"You really care for him…don't you?"

"Someone so virtuous as you shouldn't be so scathed…"

"Did you think you could hide from me?!"

"Shinkou has gone after him, but you **have **to rest…"

"Tell me what it is, Ishizu. What must I do to stop this…?"

"You can't be serious…? We have to be locked away into some…some item _to stop all this…?"_

"I'm scared, Mariku, I really am. How does she think I have enough power to do this..?"

"You can kill me, but I won't allow you to kill him!"

"You're going to pay…you're all going to pay…and this time, I don't think you can summon Ra twice…I'll show you the true meaning of pain…"

"Pathetic. Well, Pharaoh, where are you guards and priests to help you? Where are they hiding? Or did you 'order' them away to save yourself from embarrassment? Heh…never mind, you're not that smart."

"Keep him sedated! I do not want to see him awake even for a moment!"

"The Sennen items are choosing their keepers based on their vows…The Pharaoh, Mariku, and the thief are in pain because their souls are being put into the items. …I wish this didn't have to happen…but there's no other option…" 

__

Yami felt like he was going to be sick when the voices finally died down. His arms wrapped around his stomach after falling to his knees, bending forward until his head was resting to the ground. He blinked his eyes tiredly when he saw something cling to the ground, held up by a leathery string around his neck. He carefully pulled up and sat back, holding a hand to the item and examining it as it radiated with a soft holy aura. "This is…" he placed his thumb over the eye molded over the upside down pyramid and felt it warm slightly to his touch, "…the puzzle…"

He cringed, the darkness flashing with light for a few moments before merging into the ground, a scene being shown to Yami. He blinked and felt around, still touching the ground as it if were glass and looked out to see Ishizu, Shinkou, Reia, Seth, and Shaadi. Shinkou was yelling erratically, but Yami couldn't decipher his words as Reia held him down, Seth simply left the room in silence. Ishizu forced a smile and Yami actually heard her words, "I'm sorry it had to be this way. I apologize to you all."

************************

"Isis! What did you _do _to them?!" Jounouchi shouted as the Egyptian continued to walk down the hall. His eyes stared around them, noting that most were in a dazed state as if they weren't even there. "You know - they still have lives to save!" 

"Quiet down, they can still do their jobs, they simply don't see us," she sighed…so tired of this other. She rounded a corner to face a separate hallway leading to the Intensive Care section and headed for it, the other three following quietly behind. When they stepped in, they met the challenging part…getting everyone out of the room Bakura had been put into. 

"If they 'can't see us,' why not just drag them out and lock the door?" Jou muttered bored, shrugging when Anzu gave him a crazed look. "What? It could work!"

"It will work perfectly," Isis gave a smile, volunteering Jounouchi to push out the two doctors once they were in the room. The two were obviously shocked when the door slammed in their faces, unable to open it again as Isis laid out a spell to seal it. "Now…" Isis cast a single glance to Bakura before walking up to Anzu, staring at her carefully, "…I thought so…"

"What? Is something wrong with Anzu?" Yuugi blinked with confusion.

"Not at all," she chuckled a bit, "You just remind me as someone I once knew. And I have a feeling a part of her thrives within you, which will help perfectly."

"Someone…thrives within me…?" Anzu gulped, obviously not at ease by this conversation, "…Who?"

"The High Priestess Reia," was all she said, walking over to stand besides Bakura's bed, taking one of his cold hands into her own. "Such a poor soul…you were so evil in the past…and then now…" she hung her head, squeezing the hand, "your past has caught up with you…but I will do my best to save the life you have now…" Isis looked over to Anzu, "stand on the other side."

"Um…all right…" the girl did as asked, glancing to Jou and Yuugi in confusion. "So…now what?" Anzu took Bakura's other hand when Isis pointed to it.

"All I want you to do is focus on Bakura's hand and the monster card the Emerald Dragon, understand?"

"…I guess…"

"Why the dragon card?" Yuugi questioned out of curiosity, sitting himself in one of the chairs.

"Because it was the primary monster of Reia. While Anzu focuses on it and the other's hand, she'll be able to channel energy into Bakura - even if she doesn't know it. I will take care of the rest," she checked around the room, making sure most would be in order before speaking once again, "Yuugi, please stand to the foot of the bed. The presence of a Sennen item may wake his mind better."

Yuugi hopped from his seat and moved over to where he was needed, Jou muttered behind him and took the chair, wondering why he needed to be here. "Now everyone stay silent, that mainly means _you_, Katsuya."

"Fine, whatever," he huffed, crossing his arms.

Isis closed her eyes and Anzu followed suit, assuming it was the best thing to do and focused on the dragon card in her mind and the hand she was squeezing. Isis' voice lulled out softly, "*Nuk Ast nebt heka ari heka khu tchet kheru. Khet akhem-tu pet hetepet her tep re en Ast. An kheper khet nub tu erek. uben - f em khut erta - f shep en her ket sehetch-nef shu em shuti-f bah-neh taui ma athen em tep tuait. Shems aui ruu ta em hetep kher neb-f. Khet en ankh!" 

Jounouchi leant forward and blinked, watching as light bathed over the three of them. Now he _really _felt left out. _Man, this is so awesome! _He held back an 'eep' when he heard a crack of power and the light began to seep into Bakura's body until the brightness was gone. Isis' eyes reopened and Anzu screamed, unable to help herself.

Bakura's hand tightened back.

  
************************

Ryou was feeling much like a fool, hiding by the table as Rekhi shouted his claims of death. He glanced up slowly at the sky, the spirit's of the two god monsters swarming in their circle still, lightning crackling around more constantly. _I need to do something…_

[ …Ryou. ]

The boy looked down at the Sennen Ring, then around the room in shock, making sure he was alive and not in some sort of dream. _Can he really be…?_

{ B-Bakura…? }

[ …Yeah…it's me… ]

{ You're alive! But how? The doctors were saying it was going to be impossible! Everything is such a mess here…there's this guy who's calling himself by Rekhi and says he's you from the past and - }

[ I know Ryou, I know…I can see. Isis and Anzu somehow placed energy into my mind…I can't fully move yet…but I can mentally get to you…which is all I need… ]

{ What are you talking about? }

[ You have to kill him, you know that, right? ]

{ Well…yeah…. } Ryou blinked, not understanding why his darker half seemed hesitant and almost afraid at his words. And then it hit him. Rekhi was from the past…if he died then Bakura would… { No! I'm not killing you! }

[ Ryou! You have to! It's either him and I die, or _all _of you! None of us want that. I may have changed, but I've done horrible things in ancient times. I don't understand why on earth Isis wanted me to live, but it doesn't matter. Ryou…you know this is what needs to happen… ]

Ryou closed his eyes to stop the flow of tears and leant his head back against a wall, slowly letting the thoughts wash over him. He could distantly hear Mariku and Rekhi shouting back and forth and Malik mumbling quietly besides Rekhi. 

{ A-All right… But I…I don't know what to do… }

[ That's expected. I'm going to guide you through what I want you to do. We first need to help out Shinkou and Seto, and I know Yuumei isn't going to listen, so we need to take out the Dark Scorpion. I'm going to cross my deck over into your soul room. ]

__

I hate this… Ryou bit his lip, feeling the ring glow briefly, sensing his other close in his mind for a moment before it faded again. Ryou probed his own mind and found the deck, grasping it and pulling it into reality. At least he felt more confident knowing his dark half could see what was going on. 

[ That's good. Now, focus on the ring and use Fire Sorcerer and the magic card Shooting Star Bow - Ceal. That'll get the sorcerer's attack to 2000. ]

Ryou nearly jumped when the spellcaster materialized besides him, hat hanging crooked on her head and stern face looking right at him. He gulped and held up a hand to point at the Dark Scorpion across the room, "Um…get rid of her…"

She gave him a brief smile and held out a bent hand that filled over in fire, mouthing a word and closing her hand fully, the fire vanishing and reappearing around the target - scorching her to nothing. Yuumei jumped at the disappearance of the other and was prepared to yell for her master. Ryou crawled forward before his yami could say anything and snapped out a magic card, "Despell!" he whispered loudly, his target for Yuumei. 

| You roach, you can't - | she cursed, the card's effects hitting her and sending her back as a card. 

[ That was too close for comfort…go over and help those two…they seem ok, but while Rekhi is distracted it's good to have you three be able to do something against him…]

{ Right. }

************************

__

I'm getting tired of this, Malik stared at the floor, still standing close to Rekhi. _There's so much power here that it's making me sick. _"You don't have to do this," he whispered for the other to hear, but was mostly ignored. "Please…you don't…"

"Quiet!" Rekhi finally snapped from under his breath, more soft than biting. 

Malik closed his eyes and sighed, feeling the other put an arm around him gently, "Do you rather be with them, is _that _what you're saying?"

"No…that's not it….it's just…" he shook his head. The other wasn't going to understand, "I just want my yami to live. He's…a part of me…"

Rekhi snorted and held a hand up towards the sky, "It's not like I'm killing you," he muttered in annoyance, thinking briefly that maybe he should listen to the other. But as he watched Ra's gold wings unfold he snorted. _He'll understand what I'm doing afterwards. Then we can live peacefully. With none of these _slugs _around, heh, that's right. _"You don't have to act like you're protecting them," were his finally words to the other until he tipped his head back to yell up, "Ra! Show them your hell!" his arm fell so his finger was pointing where Mariku was, Yami having been pushed away. "Destroy him!"

Yami lost his footing after being pushed, falling to the ground in horror, "NO! Mariku, _move_!"

Ra's form glowed and came into full shape, breaking away from the circle him and Osiris had been creating, jaws opening as the energy gathered within them.

Malik made one last attempt, breaking away from Rekhi's loose embrace and stepping before his dark half, "I told you! Don't do this, Rekhi! _Please_!"

"You idiot - get out of the way!" Rekhi felt his heart drop momentarily before his face hardened and he growled, "Fine then, go protect those asses, see if I give a damn!" he shouted, voice drowning out as Ra's attack exploded through the air, tearing above Rekhi's head and for its target, the area around its radius glowering brightly. 

Rekhi for the first time felt a taste of fear…

…and regret.

************************

Not as much as a cliffhanger as I wanted to do. Damn. Oh well. Live with it XP Not too horrible, hn? Hope not anyway. I think I keep losing reviewers :/ how upsetting. 

So a note on the Egyptian Isis used. It basically all together makes absolutely no sense, but nevertheless here is the translation (taken from E.A Wallis Budge's _The Gods of the Egyptians Volume 2_):

__

*I am Isis, lady of words of power, worker with words of power, might in utterance of speech. The fire is extinguished, heaven is content at the utterance of Isis. Not shall happen thing any evil unto thee. He riseth on the horizon, he giveth light through the darkness, he shineth with light from his plumes, he floodeth with light the two lands like the Disk at early sunrise. _Departeth, evil goeth away, the earth is a peace beneath its lord. The staff of light!_

I apologize, all those lines are taken from different points of the book and pieced together, but I do not remember which pages they're from. Oi. 

Please review .____. I know it took me a bit to get this chapter out, but I did work hard on it o.O;; There's only one or two parts I didn't like. 

Oh! The whole past-scene with Yami and all the quotes are each from just about all of the past-scenes from beginning to end. Only some I left out, because, well, Yami wasn't present, lol. 


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